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I 


BEHIND 

THE  PRISON  BARS. 

A  REMINDER  OF  OUR  DUTIES 
TOWARD  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  BEEN  SO  UNFOR¬ 
TUNATE  AS  TO  BE  CAST  INTO  PRISON. 

I  BE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

• -  DEO  2  8  ?33V 

UNIVERSITY  OF  IlLINOI 

By  E.  E.  BYRUM, 

Author  of  “ The  Secret  of  Salvation,”  “Divine  Healing  of  Soul 
and  Body,”  “The  Great  Physician,”  “The 
Boy’s  Companion,”  Etc. 


“ Remember  them  that  are  in  bonds, 
as  bound  with  them.”—Eeb .  13:3. 


Gospel  Trumpet  Publishing  Co., 

MOUNDSVILLE,  W.  VA. 

1901. 


Copyright,  1901, 

BY 

E.  E.  Byrum. 


i 


AUTHOR’S  PREFACE. 

Help  a  man  who  is  in  trouble  and  manifest  a  care 
for  his  soul,  even  though  he  is  an  enemy;  it  touches 
a  tender  chord  of  his  hardened  heart,  tends  to  loose 
the  binding  powers  of  sin,  causing  him  to  look  up  with 
hope.  Realizing  the  great  neglect  of  duty  toward 
them  who  are  behind  the  prison-bars,  unable  to  help 
themselves  in  many  respects,  inspired  the  writing  of 
this  volume.  It  was  not  the  intention  of  the  authoi  to 
write  a  thorough  work  on  this  subject,  but  to  call 
'  attention  to  a  few  facts  concerning  the  prisons  and 
jails,  also  the  treatment  and  privileges  of  the  inmates, 
and  thus  awaken  the  people  to  a  sense  of  duty  and  the 
manifestation  of  a  feeling  of  sympathy.  The  majority 
of  people  have  never  visited  a  jail  or  state  prison, 
consequently  know  but  little  about  them,  and  feel  lit¬ 
tle,  if  any,  responsibility  on  that  line. 

About  two  years  ago  the  Gospel  Trumpet  Publish¬ 
ing  Company  of  Moundsville,  W.  Va.,  established  a 
fund  for  sending  out  literature  free  to  the  poor,  to 
jails,  prisons,  and  wherever  most  needed.  As  much 
as  ten  thousand  dollars’  worth  of  books,  tracts,  and 
papers  have  in  this  way  been  sent  out  during  one  year 
to  various  parts  of  the  United  States,  Canada,  Europe, 
and  other  foreign  countries.  Yet  it  seems  only  a 
drop  in  the  bucket,  as  it  were,  in  consideration  of 
what  should  be  done.  It  is  our  earnest  prayer  that 


6 


AUTHORS  PREFACE. 


the  readers  of  this  little  volume  will  at  once  put  forth 
the  greatest  possible  effort  to  properly  supply  the 
prisoners  and  thus  aid  in  bringing  about  a  reformation 
in  their  lives. 

In  order  to  show  the  result  of  some  of  the  efforts 
put  forth  to  supply  the  prisoners  with  good  literature 
and  their  appreciation  of  the  same,  quite  a  number  of 
letters  from  prisoners  and  prison  officials  have  been 
inserted.  While  these  letters  have  quite  a  similarity, 
yet  it  is  hoped  that  their  sameness  will  not  destroy 
their  interest  in  consideration  of  the  fact  that  thereby 
the  prisoners  from  a  broad  scope  of  territory  have  the 
privilege  of  giving  expression  to  their  feeling  of  grati¬ 
tude  toward  those  who  have  thus  manifested  their 
friendship. 

The  names  have  been  omitted  of  those  who  have 
written  letters  and  testimonies;  however,  they  appear 
in  full  in  the  original  manuscript  and  are  genuine. 
Only  the  serial  numbers  are  given  to  those  whose 
biographies  appear  in  the  book.  We  are  grateful  for 
the  kind  assistance  of  prison  officials  and  prisoners 
who  have  kindly  contributed.  Further  communica¬ 
tions,  or  letters,  from  prisoners  or  any  one  interested 
in  this  line  of  work  will  be  gladly  received  by  the 
author.  With  an  earnest  prayer  for  the  salvation  of 
every  prisoner,  I  remain, 

Yours  in  Him, 

E.  E.  Byrum. 

Moundsville,  W.  Va.,  July  4,  1901. 


CONTENTS . 


PAPE. 

In  Prison. . . . . .  0 

Make  the  Best  of  It .  12 

Punishment .  14 

Capital  Punishment . . .  22 

Life  Imprisonment .  20 

The  Dungeon .  28 

Cat-o’-nine-tails .  32 

Buck  and  Gagged .  34 

Lock-step  March . 34 

Literary  Privileges . . .  37 

Tobacco  Allowance .  46 

The  Prisoner’s  Work . 47 

The  Stockades .  48 

The  Chain  Gang .  49 

The  Pelon’s  Cell .  53 

The  Library . 56 

The  Chapel .  58 

Scaling  the  Prison  Walls . 60 

A  Prison  Eeform . . .  64 

History  of  West  Virginia  Penitentiary .  73 

(As  Written  by  a  Prisoner.) 

Letters  from  Prison  Officials . 107 

Testimonies  of  Convicts .  121 

Keleased  from  Prison .  141 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 

The  Black  List .  19 

Cat-o’-nine-tails .  31 

Lock-step  March . . .  35 

The  Chain  Gang .  51 

Scaling  the  Prison  Walls .  61 

Tracked  by  Bloodhounds — Captured .  69 

Penitentiary  of  the  State  of  West  Virginia .  105 

The  Younger  Brothers . 145 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


IN  PRISON. 

Our  country  is  called  the  land  of  the  free,  but 
could  we  at  one  glance  behold  the  thousands  and 
tens  of  thousands  now  behind  the  prison-bars  and 
know  their  irksome  lives,  there  would  be  an  awakening 
in  hearts  that  have  never  known  the  bondage  that 
exists  in  our  midst, 

A  crime  is  perpetrated.  Some  one  is  arraigned 
before  the  court  to  answer  the  charges  as  to  whether 
he  is  guilty  or  not.  The  jury  renders  a  verdict, 
“Guilty.”  The  judge  pronounces  the  sentence  a  term 
in  prison.  The  poor  unfortunate  is  now  considered  a 
convict.  Shackles  are  brought  to  make  him  secure, 
in  order  to  prevent  his  escape.  An  officer  accompanies 
him  to  his  prison  house,  where  he  is  to  be  in  servitude 
according  to  the  length  of  his  term  of  sentence.  No 
one  but  the  prisoner  realizes  the  awful  feelings  as  the 
prison  door  shuts  behind  him  with  a  clang,  and  he 
hears  the  click  of  the  lock  fastening  him  in  an  iron 
ceil.  Whether  innocent  or  guilty,  he  feels  the  awful 
disgrace  upon  himself  and  his  friends.  It  would  not 

o 


10 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


seem  so  bad  if  only  tlie  guilty  were  brought  to  justice  in 
this  way,  but  ofttimes  the  facts  reveal  that  not  only 
hundreds,  but  thousands,  of  innocent  persons  are  thus 
sentenced  and  brought  into  disgrace,  many  of  them 
serving  a  life  sentence. 

There  are  two  sides  to  prison  life — a  bright  side,  and 
a  dark  side.  It  may  be  a  query  in  the  minds  of  some 
how  there  could  be  any  enjoyment  or  any  bright  side 
to  such  a  life,  but  this  will  be  clearly  shown  in  other 
chapters  in  this  book.  There  are  many  tilings  that  go 
to  make  the  prison  life  a  dark  one.  Viewing  the 
matter  from  a  natural  standpoint,  with  no  one  to 
look  to  but  human  help,  the  way  does  truly  often 
look  dark  and  dreary.  There  are  prisons  where  men 
are  cast  into  dungeons  and  left  to  almost  starve  to 
death,  or  they  are  bound  hand  and  foot  and  beaten 
with  the  cat-o-nine  tails,  or  hanged  by  the  thumbs,  or 
made  to  pass  through  some  severe  ordeal  of  punish¬ 
ment  that  is  almost  beyond  human  endurance.  Even 
in  our  own  country  there  are  yet  stockades  wherein 
prisoners  do  not  receive  treatment  that  would  elevate 
them  nor  fit  them  for  the  higher  circles  of  society. 
Many  of  these  stockades  wherein  prisoners  have  been 
kept  during  die  years  past  have  been  but  little,  if  any, 
better  in  many  respects  than  were  the  Anderson ville 
or  Libby  prisons  during  the  Eebellion.  There  are  ex¬ 
ceptional  cases  to  be  sure.  Luring  the  past  year  a 
number  of  the  states  have  not  properly  provided  for 
their  prisoners.  It  has  not  been  an  uncommon  thing 


IN  PBISON, 


11 


in  some  of  these  stockades  to  see  a  gang  of  men 
shackled  together  with  chains,  obliged  to  go  about 
with  the  clanking  chains  to  their  feet,  under  rigid 
rules,  and  having  to  suffer  the  severe  treatment  of 
wicked  and  ungodly  guards. 

The  National  Prison  Association,  which  is  generally 
represented  by  officers  from  the  various  prisons 
throughout  the  United  States,  have  for  a  number  of 
years  met  annually  to  discuss  the  best  modes  of  hand¬ 
ling  and  caring  for  the  prisoners.  Various  methods 
have  been  set  forth.  Experiments  have  been  made, 
and  too  often  it  is  the  case  that  hard-hearted  officers 
have  used  the  most  excruciating  means  and  hard¬ 
heartedness  in  their  dealings  toward  their  prisoners, 
in  order  to  keep  them  in  subjection.  Some  officers 
deem  it  necessary  to  speak  to  prisoners  in  the  sternest 
possible  manner,  imagining  that  being  cross,  gruff, 
and  surly  toward  them  will  make  them  feel  a  sub¬ 
ordination  that  can  be  brought  about  in  no  other  way. 
This  only  deepens  the  sorrows  of  the  poor  unfortunate 
prisoner  and  tends  to  harden  his  heart  and  affections. 
Such  officers  forget  that  kind  looks,  gentle  actions, 
and  words  of  encouragement  fitly  spoken  will  elevate 
a  man  and  encourage  him  to  show  his  manhood  and 
return  the  love  by  putting  forth  his  best  efforts  to 
show  his  appreciation  of  kindness.  It  is  true  there 
are  hard-hearted  men  in  prison,  men  who  would  kill  a 
man  for  a  trifle,  whose  consciences  are  seared  over,  as 
it  were,  yet  there  are  comparatively  few  men  so  hard- 


12 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS \ 


hearted  but  can  be  touched  by  love  and  kindness. 
There  are  times  when  more  severe  punishment  must 
be  inflicted,  but  the  warden  and  prison  officers  who 
continually  show  forth  kindness  toward  the  prisoners, 
greeting  them  'with  a  smile  and  words  of  encourage¬ 
ment,  have  but  little  trouble  in  bringing  about  a  great 
reform  in  the  lives  of  those  under  their  charge. 


MAKE  THE  BEST  OF  IT. 


There  are  thousands  in  prisons  whose  hands  have 
been  stained  with  the  blood  of  their  fellow  men; 
others  whose  hearts  are  hardened  in  sin  and  their  lives 
blackened  with  many  crimes;  while  again,  there  are 
those  who  are  innocent,  and  some  who  have  been  cast 
into  prison  for  Christ’s  sake.  But  whether  innocent 
or  guilty,  the  most  expedient  thing  is  to  make  the  best 
of  the  situation.  Worrying  over  the  separation  from 
friends,  the  disgrace  that  is  brought  about,  and  be¬ 
wailing  the  condition  of  things  in  general,  will  by  no 
means  help  the  matter.  If  a  sin  or  crime  has  been 
committed  it  is  not  hidden  from  the  God  of  hearen, 
and  though  the  prisoner  maybe  shut  in  for  years  he  can 
have  the  soul  liberated  from  all  the  sins  committed, 
by  confessing  them  unto  the  Lord,  calling  upon  him, 
and  believing  that  he  does  forgive;  as  the  Bible  tells 
us  ini  Jno.  1:9  that,  “if  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness.” 


P^frisoner  should  make  a  decision  for  the 
I^T/at  once,  cast  away  his  gloom,  doubts,  and  fears, 
and  remember  the  words  of  the  apostle,  who  urges 
people  to  cast  their  care  upon  the  Lord,  for  he  careth 
for  them.  He  is  a  very  present  help  in  time  of  trouble. 
By  the  help  of  Almighty  God  the  prisoner  can  yet 
make  his  mark  in  the  world.  He  can  rise  above  every 
foe  and  be  of  some  use  before  his  life  closes.  While 
he  is  in  the  midst  of  the  most  desperate  characters  im 
the  land,  yet  he  can  have  good  associates.  He  can 
commune  with  God  when  alone  in  his  cell.  He  can 
call  for  good  books  and  holy  literature,  read  the  Bible, 
and  make  every  effort  to  please  the  Lord  and  those 
around  him.  He  can  so  live  that  even  the  prison  walls 
will  be  a  hallowed  spot  unto  him.  It  was  while  John 
Bunyan  was  serving  a  twelve-year  sentence  in  prison  that 
he  wrote  the  notable  book  “The  Pilgrim’s  Progress,” 
which  has  been  a  help  and  comfort  to  multitudes  of 
people.  He  no  doubt  worked  often  under  adverse 
circumstances  and  completed  his  work  through  many 
difficulties  and  much  hard  labor.  Likewise  Martin 
Luther  translated  the  New  Testament  while  in  prison, 
and  wrote  a  number  of  other  valuable  works.  The 
apostle  Paul  wrote  a  number  of  his  epistles  while  in 
prison.  He  and  others  with  him  sometimes  were 
punished  by  stripes  until  they  were  left  lacerated  and 
bleeding,  then  cast  into  prison  and  bound  hand  and 
foot.  It  was  under  such  circumstances  that  one  time 
Paul  and  Silas  were  found  praising  the  Lord,  singing 


BEHIND  '1 


and  shouting  at  the  midnight  hour, 
sent  an  earthquake  and  rent  the  prison  walls, 
ing  open  the  doors  and  loosing  the  shackles,  setting 
them  free;  hut  they  did  not  flee  from  the  prison  until 
they  received  proper  orders.  It  was  their  faithfulness 
that  caused  the  jailer  to  ask  what  he  should  do  to  be 
saved.  Paul  told  him  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  The  generous  jailor  then  took  the  brethren 
and  washed  their  stripes  and  properly  cared  for  them, 
and  soon  they  were  dismissed  and  sent  on  their  way. 
It  often  happens  that  some  must  suffer  an  unjust  pun¬ 
ishment.  To  such  we  can  only  say,  Be  of  good 
courage;  look  up  and  trust  for  better  days. 


- — - 

PUNISHMENT. 


People  are  sentenced  to  a  term  in  prison  on  account 
of  crime  committed.  There  are  two  systems  of  pun¬ 
ishment.  One  is  called  punitive  or  retributive  system, 
the  other  the  corrective  or  reformative.  Until  within 
the  last  few  years  the  punitive  system  was  almost  the 
exclusive  one.  However,  our  humane  officers,  prison 
officials,  lawmakers  and  statesmen  are  not  only  learn¬ 
ing  better  ways  of  bringing  men  and  women  thus  in¬ 
carcerated  into  subjection,  but  in  many  places  are 
making  ana  enforcing  laws  which  require  that  pris¬ 
oners  be  more  humanely  treated  and  receive  better  care 
and  accommodations.  Men  have  resorted  to  almost 


PUNISHMENT. 


15 


every  possible  device  in  order  to  make  bad  men  good 
and  raise  them  from  ignorance  to  intelligence,  and  in 
so  doing  have  inflicted  the  most  severe  punishment, 
causing  the  prisoners  to  pass  through  severest  ordeals 
and  most  terrible  sufferings  imaginable.  When  we 
say  there  has  been  a  radical  change  in  many  of  our 
prisons  in  the  land  in  discarding  the  severe  corporal 
punishment,  we  do  not  wish  to  convey  the  idea  that  all 
prisons  have  yet  accepted  the  more'  humane  ways  of 
governing  the  prisoners  under  their  charge.  When  we 
say  some  of  these  punishments  have  been  and  are  yet 
severe  it  does  not  fully  express  the  facts  of  the  case. 
The  word  “severe”  is  not  a  strong  enough  word.  There 
have  been  and  are  yet  punishments  that  are  brutal — 
brutal  to  the  extreme.  Many  prisoners  who  are  within 
the  prison  walls  carry  the  deep  lash  marks  of  the 
whip;  the  unjointed  and  deformed  thumbs  resulting 
from  the  punishment  of  being  hanged  by  the  thumbs; 
and  there  are  other  deformities.  Many  of  us  can  no 
doubt  remember  the  time  of  our  early  days  in  the 
country  school  when  the  schoolmaster  was  almost 
constantly  with  a  beach  or  birch  whip  in  his  hand, 
something  equal  to  an  ox  goad.  This  instrument  for 
correcting  the  youths  of  our  land  and  bringing  them 
into  subjection,  when  not  in  the  schoolmaster’s 
hand  was  in  the  corner  near  by  and  was  generally 
freely  used.  There  have  been,  however,  such  a  radical 
change  and  better  modes  of  government  brought 
about,  that  many  schools  are  taught  without  once 


16 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


using  such  an  instrument  of  punishment.  If  such  a 
successful  change  has  been  made  in  our  public  schools, 
surely  as  radical  a  change  can  be  made  in  our  prisons, 
to  take  the  place  of  the  brutality  of  the  past.  Con¬ 
cerning  the  easy  government  of  the  prisoners  there  is 
much  that  depends  upon  those  in  charge  of  the  pris¬ 
oners.  The  warden,  chaplain,  and  prison  guards  who 
have  direct  care  of  the  prisoners  should  be  good, 
whole-souled  men,  kind  and  benevolent,  and  who  are 
capable  of  appreciating  the  good  traits  of  a  man  even 
though  they  may  be  covered  by  many  dark  ones.  They 
should  be  good  readers  of  human  nature  and  under¬ 
stand  the  dispositions  of  those  under  their  charge. 
They  should  be  firm  and  unyielding  to  their  trust,  yet 
loving  and  tender. 

Mr.  Meade,  warden  of  the  state  prison  at  Auburn, 
N.  Y.,  says:  “Till  the  nature  of  criminals  undergoes  a 
complete  change,  nay,  till  the  nature  of  man  is  much 
altered,  there  will  be  times  when  punishment  must  be 
inflicted  on  prisoners.  Much  as  we  have  gained  on 
using  the  modern  reformed  treatment,  and  much  as 
we  may  justly  expect  to  gain  in  the  future,  the  fact 
remains  that  there  are  times  in  the  prison  life  of  men 
when  the  results  of  their  former  passions  crop  out  ir- 
resistably,  making  them  for  a  time  not  accessible  to 
friendly  reproof.  At  such  times,  for  the  effect  it  has 
on  others,  but  quite  as  much  for  its  effect  on  its 
misdemeanant,  it  is  necessary  to  forcibly  bring  him  to 
recognition  of  his.  obligations  and  his  duty.  But  to 


PUNISHMENT . 


17 


* 

my  mind  forcible  restraining,  or  to  employ  the  com¬ 
mon  term,  punishing  a  convict,  does  not  require  the 
use  of  the  paddle  or  other  instruments  of  torture; 
furthermore,  in  my  judgment,  such  process  should  be 
condemned  in  the  strongest  terms.  For  they  tend  to 
imbitter  not  only  the  man  punished  but  all  prisoners 
against  the  officers  of  the  prison,  the  rules  of  the 
prison,  and  law  itself.  One  instance  of  the  use  of  the 
paddle  would  do  more  to  destroy  the  desired  friendly 
relation  between  officers  and  men  than  many  months 
of  considerate  treatment  could  restore.  No!  Expe¬ 
rience  has  proved  to  me  that  when  it  is  imperative  that 
an  inmate  be  punished,  the  screened  cell  or  dungeon 
without  discretion  furnishes  an  effective  mode.  Such 
cells  should  be  kept  dry  and  well  ventilated,  but 
wholly  devoid  of  furnishings.  Confining  men  thus 
and  supplying  them  with  a  very  limited  amount  of  food 
and  water  has,  in  the  great  majority  of  cases  which 
have  come  under  my  observation,  speedily  brought  the 
desired  result  of  making  a  man  see  the  advisibility  of 
abiding  by  the  regulations  of  the  institution.” 

There  are  also  other  ways,  however,  of  vividly  im¬ 
pressing  the  minds  of  those  who  are  disorderly,  or 
who  insist  on  not  observing  the  prison  rules.  Most 
prisons  have  what  is  called  “short  time;”  that  is,  for 
good  behavioi  their  sentence  is  shortened  so  many  . 
days  each  month,  and  in  some  prisons  a  certain  per¬ 
centage  of  the  worth  of  their  labor  is  placed  to  their 
credit  for  good  behavior.  One  of  the  effective  ways  of 


•  18 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


bringing  them  to  time  when  they  become  stubborn  and 
rebellions,  refusing  to  obey  the  rules,  is  to  withhold 
the  commutation,  or  short  time,  and  also  deduct  so 
much  of  the  compensation  money  that  has  been  placed 
to  their  credit.  This  is  generally  much  more  effective 
and  pleads  to  the  reason  and  common  sense  of  the 
prisoner  more  than  some  forcible  persuasion  by  way  of 
corporal  punishment. 

For  certain  offences  some  are  black-listed  to  be  pun¬ 
ished  in  various  ways.  One  is,  during  working  hours 
or  while  others  are  resting  or  at  services  on  Sunday, 
the  disobedient  convict  is  to  march  for  a  few  hours 
around  the  prison  square  and  carry  a  heavy  piece  of 
railroad  iron,  weighing  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
pounds. 

Captain  Smith,  a  few  years  ago,  in  giving  his  bi¬ 
ennial  report  of  the  Kansas  prison,  said:  “The  dis¬ 
cipline  has  been  carefully  looked  after  and  as  a  general 
thing  prisoners  yield  to  a  strict  discipline  better  than 
most  people  think.  •  They  seem  to  see  and  realize  the 
necessity  of  rules  and  very  seldom  complain,  if  they 
violate  them,  at  the  punishment  that  is  sure  to  follow. 
Our  punishments  are  of  such  a  character  that  they  do 
not  degrade.  Kansas,  when  she  established  her 
penitentiary,  prohibited  corporal  punishment.  She  is 
one  of  the  few  states  that  by  law  prohibits  the  use  of 
the  whip  and  strap,  taking  the  position  that  it  is  better 
to  use  kindness  than  to  resort  to  brutal  measures.  I 
have  often  been  told,  and  that  too  by  old  prison  men, 


) 


UNIVERSITY 


M  * 


\ 


PUNISHMENT. 


1 


that  it  is  impossible  to  run  a  prison  and  have  first- 
class  discipline  without  the  whip.  Such  is  not  my  ex¬ 
perience.  We  have  had  within  our  walls  perhaps  as 
desperate  men  as  ever  received  a  sentence.  We  have 
controlled  them  and  have  maintained  a  good  discipline 
second  to  none  in  the  country.  How  did  we  accom¬ 
plish  this?  Our  answer  is,  By  being  kind  but  firm,  treat¬ 
ing  a  man,  although  a  prisoner,  as  a  man,  and  if  he 
violates  rules,  lock  him  up  and  give  him  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  commune  with  himself  and  his  Maker;  also 
give  him  to  understand  that  he  is  the  executioner  of 
his  own  sentence,  and  when  he  concludes  that  he  can 
do  right,  release  him.  It  matters  not  how  vicious, 
how  stubborn,  or  what  kind  of  a  temper  he  may 
have,  when  left  with  no  one  to  talk  to  and  an 
opportunity  to  cool  down  and  with  the  knowledge 
that  when  he  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  he  will  do 
better  he  can  be  released,  he  leaves  the  cell  feeling  very 
different  from  the  prisoner  who  leaves  the  whipping¬ 
post  after  having  received  any  number  of  lashes  that 
the  brutal  officer  may  desire  to  inflict.  One  goes  to 
his  work  cheerful  and  determined  to  behave  himself; 
the  other  dogged,  revengeful,  and  completely  humil¬ 
iated,  only  lives  in  hope  that  he  may  at  some  time 
take  his  revenge  upon  the  person  that  ordered  or  in¬ 
flicted  the  punishment  and  upon  the  state  or  country 
that  would  by  its  laws  tolerate  such  a  brutal  or 
slavish  practice.” 


22 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


CAPITAL  PUNISHMENT. 


Being  pat  to  death  for  crime  or  some  misdemeanor 
is  termed  capital  punishment.  This  is  not  the  most 
painful  but  is  the  most  heinous  of  all  punishments. 
It  is  a  heathenish  practice,  yet  men  make  laws,  sit  in 
judgment,  render  decisions,  pronounce  sentences,. and 
thereby  shed  the  blood  of  their  fellow  men,  trying  to 
hide  behind  the  laws  that  are  made,  trying  to  screen 
themselves  by  the  Bible,  hoping  all  will  be  well  in  the 
day  of  judgment.  Because  of  such  lawmakers  and  law¬ 
yers,  many  are  sentenced  and  hurled  into  eternity  with- 
out  being  prepared  to  meet  God.  Will  God  hold  us  inno¬ 
cent  if  we  do  such  things?  or  if  we  cry  not  out  against 
such,  will  he  not  look  down  upon  a  government  and 
nation  stained  with  human  blood?  Surely  there  is  guilt 
that  must  be  removed.  When  the  judge  rises  and 
pronounces  the  death  sentence,  to  ease  his  conscience 
in  the  matter  he  sometimes  quotes  from  Genesis  9:6: 
“Whoso  sheddeth  man’s  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood 
be  shed.”  Even  though  that  scripture  could  apply  in 
such  cases  in  those  days,  it  can  not  at  the  present 
time.  It  is  true  that  under  the  law  of  Moses  life  was 
given  for  life  as  a  punishment.  For  many  trivial  things 
people  were  stoned  to  death,  even  for  the  breaking  of 
the  Sabbath. 

“Then  thou  shalt  give  life  for  life,  eye  for  eye,  tooth 
for  tooth,  hand  for  hand,  foot  for  foot,  burning  for 


CAPITAL  PUNISHMENT. 


23 


burning,  wound  for  wound,  stripe  for  stripe.” — Ex. 
21:23-25. 

“Then  thine  eye  shall  not  pity;  but  life  shall  go  for 
life,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth,  hand  for  hand,  foot 
for  foot.” — Deut.  19:21. 

“And  he  that  killeth  any  man  shall  surely  be  put  to 
death.  And  he  that  killeth  a  beast  shall  make  it  good ; 
beast  for  beast.  And  if  a  man  cause  a  blemish  in  his 
neighbor;  as  he  hath  done,  so  shall  it  be  done  to  him; 
breach  for  breach,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth :  as  he 
hath  caused  a  blemish  in  a  man,  so  shall  it  be  done  to 
him  again.  And  he  that  killeth  a  beast,  he  shall 
restore  it:  and  he  that  killeth  a  man,  he  shall  be  put 
to  death.” 

We  are  not  liying  under  the  law  of  Moses  in  this  day 
and  age  of  the  world,  neither  are  we  justified  by  the 
law,  but  we  are  living  in  a  different  dispensation.  Paul 
says  the  law  of  Moses  was  a  law  of  bondage,  and 
through  Jesus  Christ  we  are  free  from  that  bondage. 
The  law  of  Moses  and  the  prophets  were  until  John 
(Luke  16:16),  and  we  now  live  in  the  dispensation  of 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  nowhere  does  he  give 
men  the  privilege  of  making  and  enforcing  laws  that 
would  make  the  taking  of  man’s  life  justifiable.  We 
do  not  read  the  instructions  of  Jesus  Christ  to  be 
“Life  for  life,  eye  for  eye,  and  tooth  for  tooth,” 
neither  by  way  of  rendering  the  sentence  of  the  law 
upon  those  who  have  taken  the  life  of  their  fellow 
man,  nor  by  acting  upon  the  impulse  in  taking 


24 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


revenge  for  personal  offence  or  injury.  In  speaking 
of  the  law  of  Moses  and  what  was  written  concerning 
the  people  of  olden  times,  Jesus  in  that  memorable 
sermon  on  the  mount  said:  “Ye  have  heard  that  it 
hath  been  said,  An  eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a 
tooth:  but  I  say  unto  you,  That  ye  resist  not  evil:  but 
whosoever  shall  smite  thee  on  thy  right  cheek,  turn  to 
him  the  other  also.” — Matt.  5:38,  39.  Jesus  Christ 
taught  the  law  of  love,  even  taught  that  we  should 
love  our  enemies  and  do  good  to  them  that  hate  us 
and  despitefully  use  us.  He  taught  that  people  should 
show  mercy  to  their  fellow  men.  Even  when  wicked 
Cain  slew  his  brother  Abel  because  of  a  slight  offence, 
and  though  he  feared  that  men  would  put  him  to 
death,  God  gave  him  to  understand  that  he  would  not 
have  him  put  to  death,  but  that  he  should  be  protected 
from  such  a  penalty,  although  his  hands  were  stained 
with  his  brother’s  blood. 

In  Galatians  5:4  Paul  gave  the  people  to  under¬ 
stand  that  they  were  not  justified  by  the  law  of  Moses; 
he  said:  “Christ  is  become  of  no  effect  unto  you,  who¬ 
soever  of  you  are  justified  by  the  law;  ye  are  fallen 
from  grace.”  .Neither  are  people  justified  in  the  sight 
of  God  for  making  and  enforcing  laws  that  will  take 
the  life  of  their  fellow  men.  Merely  quoting  the 
words,  “Whoso  sheddejth  man’s  blood,  by  man  shall 
his  blood  be  shed,”  will  not  remove  the  guilt.  To  call 
such  lawmaking  and  enforcement  heathenism  does 
not  give  full  expression  to  the  subject;  nay,  it  is  bar- 


CAPITAL  PUNISHMENT. 


25 


barism  in  the  extreme.  Some  may  severely  criticize 
these  terms  and  the  views  expressed  here,  but  we 
fearlessly  assert  that  such  is  truth.  We  are  glad  to 
know  that  a  few  states  in  our  so-called  land  of  liberty 
have  become  awakened  on  this  line  and  refuse  to  make 
or  enforce  such  a  law.  Those  who  still  try  to  hide 
behind  the  law  of  Moses,  why  not  carry  out  that  law 
in  full  and  stone  to  death  every  man  or  woman  who 
breaks  the  Sabbath? 

There  is  another  side  to  the  picture.  It  is  some¬ 
times  the  case  that  a  man  who  is  put  to  death  is  in¬ 
nocent  of  the  crime  for  which  he  is  charged.  Whether 
innocent  or  guilty,  a  great  number  of  those  thus  pun¬ 
ished  pass  into  eternity  unsaved.  With  many  of  them 
it  has  been  an  act  performed  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment.  Their  former  lives,  perhaps,  have  been 
upright,  viewing  them  from  a  standpoint  of  morality. 
Again,  it  is  often  the  case  that  a  family  is  left  in  a 
critical  condition  to  battle  for  life  with  this  cold 
world.  A  delicate  wife  with  helpless  children  must 
thus  be  weighed  down  in  sorrow  and  bereavement, 
poverty  staring  them  in  the  face,  crushed  with  shame 
and  disgrace,  with  no  one  to  provide  for  them  and  no 
help  nor  special  protection  from  the  state  whose  laws 
have  forever  removed  the  one  to  whom  they  looked  for 
maintenance  and  protection. 


26 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


LIFE  IMPRISONMENT. 

^ _____________  * 

Life  imprisonment  is  an  unjust  sentence.  Life  pris¬ 
oners  are  those  who  have  received  their  sentence  for 
murdering  a  fellow  being.  In  many  cases,  however, 
they  can  not  really  be  classed  as  criminals.  They  are 
victims  of  circumstances.  The  deed  was  not  premed¬ 
itated  but  was  brought  about  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment.  The  sentence  of  a  lifelong  imprisonment 
forever  deprives  of  the  liberties  of  freedom  and  the 
association  of  friends  and  relatives,  and  the  only  hope 
of  freedom  is  an  escape,  then  to  remain  a  fugitive 
from  justice.  Mr.  Meade  in  his  report  suggests  that 
the  life  prisoner  should  be  allowed  the  same  privilege 
of  commutation  or  short  time  as  is  given  other  pris¬ 
oners,  and  in  this  give  him  a  hope  of  release.  Ihere 
are  tables  which  insurance  companies  use  (and  they 
are  supported  by  the  courts)  which  fix  an  average  limit 
of  years  of  the  existence  of  a  man,  computing  from  the 
first  year;  the  interval  beyond  the  present  age  naturally 
decreasing  as  old  age  approaches.  He  says:  “It 
would  seem  that  these  tables  furnish  a  foundation  on 
which  a  system  for  life  prisoners  should  be  based.  For 
instance,  a  man  twenty  years  of  age  is  convicted  of 
murder  and  sentenced  to  prison  for  life.  Our  tables 
show  that  the  average  number  of  years  for  a  man  of 
that  age  still  to  live  is  approximately  thirty-four. 
Figuring  the  legal  commutation  on  this  term  of  thirty- 


LIFE  IMPRISONMENT. 


27 


four  years,  we  find  the  prisoner  would  be  compelled  to 
serve  about  twenty-three  years  of  solid  time.  A  man 
thirty  years  old  would  on  the  same  basis,  having  about 
thirty  years  to  live,  serve  eighteen  years;  a  man  forty 
years  old,  having  about  twenty-five  years  to  live,  would 
serve  sixteen  years  in  prison.  Thus  we  might  con¬ 
tinue  our  observations  indefinitely.” 

My  views  of  this  matter  may  be  severely  criticised, 
nevertheless  we  do  not  consider  that  five  years  is  un¬ 
reasonably  short  for  the  first  offence  of  murder.  This 
releases  the  innocent  man  who  may  have  been  sen¬ 
tenced  through  circumstantial  evidence  or  otherwise 
by  false  accusation.  It  is  a  long  sentence  for  a  man 
who  has  acted  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment  or  in  a 
fit  of  anger;  and  even  to  the  one  who  has  premeditated 
the  crime,  five  years  of  hard  labor  and  proper  training 
in  a  prison  will  be  an  impressive  lesson  to  cause  him 
not  to  repeat  the  act.  For  a  second  offence  it  should  not 
be  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  years,  and  even  for  a  third 
offence  it  would  not  be  out  of  reason  to  give  him  the 
life  sentence  with  the  regular  commutation.  This 
reasoning  may  to  many  at  first  thought  seem  ridiculous, 
but  upon  proper  consideration  we  should  remembei 
that  as  long  as  there  is  life  there  is  hope,  and  while 
there  is  a  possibility  of  reformation  a  man  should  have 
some  kind  of  a  chance;  not  only  a  chance  to  reform, 
but  a  chance  to  enjoy  his  liberty.  Even  after  he  has 
served  two  or  three  terms  he  is  not  then  a  worse  char¬ 
acter  and  not  more  dangerous  to  a  community  than 


28 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


thousands  of  others  who  are  just  as  guilty  but  have 
not  suffered  the  penalty  of  the  law.  When  a  man  has 
served  according  to  the  penalty  here  suggested,  has 
he  not  suffered  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  law?  and  should 
we  not  be  willing  to  allow  him  the  privileges  of  liberty 
and  to  enjoy  life  once  more?  It  is  a  hard  heart  indeed 
that  will  place  a  man  behind  prison-bars  for  life.  In 
England  there  is  a  possibility  of  being  set  at  liberty 
after  twenty  years,  on  account  of  good  behavior. 
There  needs  to  be  a  radical  change  in  our  laws  on  this 
line. 


THE  DUXGEOX. 

: _ 

This  is  the  dreaded  place  of  all  prisons  and  in  many 
places  resorted  to  oftener  than  necessary.  Many  pris¬ 
oners  who  work  in  the  mines  have  had  to  go  to  the 
dungeon  without  their  supper  after  laboring  hard  all 
day,  because  ungodly  and  wicked  guards  reported  a 
shortage  in  the  proper  amount  of  coal  mined,  when 
the  facts  of  the  case  were  that  the  guards  had  stolen 
or  removed  a  portion  of  the  coal  from  the  car  after  it 
left  the  prisoner,  because  of  their  dislike  for  the  pris¬ 
oner  and  by  so  doing  could  have  him  punished.  It 
also  too  often  happens  that  prisoners  refuse  to  work  as 
they  should,  and  deserve  the  punishment.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  here  describe  the  filthy,  stifling,  odorous 
dungeons  of  war  times  or  of  some  of  the  worst  prisons 


THE  DUNGEON. 


29 


of  the  day,  but  a  description  of  the  dungeon  of  one  of 
the  best  prisons  in  our  land  will  be  sufficient.  The 
following  is  a  description  given  by  one  who  served  a 
term  in  prison.  In  describing  the  punishment  to 
secure  good  discipline,  he  said: 

“To  me  these  contingency  dungeons  are,  as  their 
name  implies,  dark,  with  similarity  to  an  ordinary  cell 
with  the  exception  of  a  door  which  in  the  common  cell 
contains  open  spaces  for  the  admission  of  light,  but 
the  dark  cell  admits  no  light,  and  not  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  air.  There  is  no  furniture  in  this  dark 
cell.  While  undergoing  punishment  if  a  prisoner 
desires  to  rest  he  can  do  so  by  reclining  on  the  stone 
floor.  No  refractory  prisoner  ever  grows  corpulent 
while  confined  in  these  dark  cells,  as  he  receives  only 
one  meal  of  bread  and  water  in  twenty-four  hours. 
The  prisoner  is  often  kept  in  one  of  these  cells  from 
eight  to  ten  days.  Sleep  is  almost  impossible.  When 
a  prisoner  enters  the  dungeon  he  is  required  io  leave 
behind  him  his  coat,  cap,  and  shoes.  During  the 
winter  months  it  is  often  very  cold  in  these  cells, 
requiring  the  prisoner  to  walk  up  and  down  the  dun¬ 
geon  in  his  stocking  feet  to  prevent  his  freezing,  and 
this  for  a  period  of  ten  days  in  nearly  every  instance 
compels  submission.  After  the  dark  cells  thaw  out  in 
the  summer  months  they  are  excessively  hot.  Some¬ 
times  in  winter  the  temperature  is  below  zero,  and  in 
summer  it  often  rises  to  100  degrees.  They  are  then 
veritable  furnaces.  Generally  after  the  prisoner  un- 


30 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


dergoes  a  freezing  or  baking  process  for  eight  or  ten 
days,  he  is  willing  to  behave  himself  in  the  future. 
They  are  sometimes  so  reduced  and  weakened  that  when 
brought  out  of  the  dark  cell  they  can  scarcely  walk 
without  aid.  I  have  seen  them  reel  to  and  fro  like 
drunken  men.  They  are  often  as  pale  as  death.  In 
many  cases  the  prisoner  contracts  cold  which  later  on 
terminates  fatally,  and  this  is  one  of  the  principal 
objections  to  this  mode  of  punishment.  If  the  pris¬ 
oner  in  the  mine  does  not  get  out  his  regular  weekly 
task  of  coal,  on  Saturday  he  is  reported  to  the  deputy 
sheriff  by  the  officer  in  charge  and  is  sent  to  the 
blind  cell  before  supper  and  kept  there  until  the 
following  Monday  morning,  when  he  is  taken 
oat  and  sent  to  his  work  in  the  mines.  While 
in  there  he  gets  only  bread  and  water  once  in 
twenty-four  hours.  This  is  a  great  inducement 
to  work,  which  certainly  prevents  criminals  from 
shirking  their  labor,  and  soon  converts  the  lazy  tramp 
into  a  hustling  coal  miner.  If  being  in  this  dark  cell  ten 
days  and  nights  is  insufficient  to  subdue  a  rebellious 
spirit  of  the  convict  he  is  taken  out  and  placed  in  the 
solitary  cell.  This  is  similar  to  the  ordinary  cell  with 
the  exception  that  it  contains  no  furniture.  Here  the 
convict  remains  on  bread  and  water  until  he  is  starved 
almost  to  death  or  until  he  is  willing  to  submit  and  do 
his  work  as  ordered.” 


n 


UBRARY 
OF  THE 

SITY  0?  OIK 


CA  T-O  -NINE-  TAILS. 


33 


OAT-O ’--NINE -TAILS. 


A  few  years  ago  while  visiting  an  Indiana  penitentiary 
the  warden  said  that  some  years  before  they  used  the 
cat-o’-nine-tails  in  punishing  their  prisoners,  but  had 
discarded  that  mode  of  punishment.  There  are  men 
both  in  prison  and  out  of  prison  who  carry  furrows 
and  scars  on  their  backs  caused  by  the  deep  flesh 
wounds  of  the  cat-o’-nine-tails.  This  is  a  whip  with 
lashes  some  of  which  have  wire  interwoven  so  as  to 
cut  the  flesh  with  every  stroke.  The  poor  prisoner 
must  bare  his  back  and  be  chained  or  shackled 
to  a  post  and  beaten  bj  a  merciless  officer,  who 
is  often  only  too  glad  to  wreak  his  vengeance  in 
that  way.  It  is  yet  the  case  in  many  prisons  and 
stockades  that  a  similar  punishment  is  inflicted 
with  the  exception  of  not  so  many  lashes,  and  a  strap 
is  sometimes  used,  from  two  to  four  inches  wide,  made 
by  sewing  two  pieces  of  harness  leather  together.  The 
same  is  perforated,  soaked  in  water  over  night,  and 
dipped  in  the  sand.  This,  when  vigorously  applied  to 
the  bare  flesh,  causes  the  most  excruciating  pain. 
This  is  not  in  the  least  overdrawing  the  picture  of  what 
is  constantly  put  into  practice  at  the  present  time. 


34 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


BUCK-AND-GAGGED. 


This  is  another  dreadful  punishment  which  is  still 
in  vogue  in  some  places.  The  prisoner  is  taken  and 
handcuffed,  his  hands  slipped  over  in  front  of  his 
knees  and  sometimes  a  stick  passed  through  just  under 
his  knees  and  over  his  wrists,  his  mouth  opened  oft- 
times  by  force,  and  filled  with  a  large  cork  or  piece  of 
wood,  and  left  in  this  condition  until  life  is  almost 
extinct.  This  punishment  is  serious  and  is  apt  to 
make  the  prisoner  revengeful  instead  of  making  him 
feel  that  he  has  been  justly  punished. 


THE  LOCK-STEP  MARCH. 

The  lock-step  march  is  a  humane  punishment,  yet 
when  continued  a  great  length  of  time  is  very  tire¬ 
some.  Prisoners  who  have  been  guilty  of  some  trivial 
offence  during  the  week,  and  who  are  not  otherwise 
punished,  are  generally  called  upon  to  fall  in  line  and 
proceed  to  the  open  square  of  the  prison,  and  there 
while  the  other  prisoners  are  resting  or  at  chapel  exer¬ 
cises  they  must  keep  in  constant  motion  in  the  lock- 
step  march.  This  punishment  is  not  as  severe  as  some 
others,  yet  it  is  not  a  desirable  punishment,  especially 
when  the  others  are  all  enjoying  a  rest  or  comfortably 
seated  in  the  chapel  during  religious  services.  When 


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LITERARY  PRIVILEGES. 


37 


the  hundreds  of  prisoners  are  gathered  in  the  chapel  on 
Sunday  morning  and  comfortably  seated,  the  warden 
or  some  other  officer  reads  the  names  of  those  who  are 
to  join  in  the  lock-step  march.  It  is  not  for  them  to 
retaliate  nor  plead  their  innocence,  neither  wait  to  be 
told  the  second  time.  As  soon  as  their  names  are 
called  they  must  immediately  rise  and  as  the  last 
name  is  called  they  are  all  marched  out  to  the  prison 
yard  and  there  begin  their  tiresome  march.  Some 
who  have  committed  greater  offences  must  walk  in 
front  and  carry  heavy  bars  of  iron.  This  punishment 
is  given  to  stimulate  them  to  observe  the  proper  rules 
and  discipline  of  the  prison. 


LITEKARY  PRIVILEGES. 


The  literary  privileges  are  so  widely  different  in  the 
various  prisons  throughout  the  land  that  it  would  be 
very  difficult  to  render  the  proper  information.  There 
are  some  penitentiaries,  and  especially  the  stockades 
of  the  South,  without  libraries,  and  many  prisoners 
even  serve  a  term  without  being  granted  any  educa¬ 
tional  privileges  whatever,  either  by  way  of  literary 
work  or  reading  of  good  books.  It  is  more  difficult  in 
the  stockades  to  give  the  literary  privileges  than  in 
other  established  prisons.  However,  there  are  states 
with  established  penitentiaries  that  have  not  provided 
the  same  with  libraries  and  proper  literary  accommoda- 


38 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


tions.  On  the  other  hand,  many  of  the  penitentiaries 
have  established  schools  wherein  prisoners  can  obtain 
a  fair  education.  For  instance,  the  Michigan  state 
prison  more  than  twenty-five  years  ago  established 
graded  schools,  and  all  prisoners  who  have  not  a  fair 
education  are  required  four  evenings  of  the  week  to 
attend  these  schools  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  In  this 
way  the  prisoner  is  not  only  benefited,  but  it  brings 
him  under  a  new  line  of  discipline  that  enables  the 
officer  in  charge  to  become  familiar  with  his  mental 
condition  and  capabilities  and  more  fully  understand 
the  dispositions  of.  those  under  his  charge.  Men  who 
are  thus  drilled  and  properly  cared  for,  after  going 
through  this  discipline  day  after  day,  cause  less  trouble 
to  those  in  charge.  In  the  prisons  where  the  most 
humane  reformative  system  of  management  is  used 
there  can  be  many  things  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
minds  of  the  prisoners  that  will  tend  to  elevate  them 
and  fit  them  for  the  higher  circles  of  society.  By  the 
proper  treatment  and  privileges  they  will  soon  learn  to 
have  a  taste  for  literary  work.  A  few  prisons  give  the 
prisoners  the  privileges  of  general  literary  work,  such 
as  delivering  orations,  recitations,  essays,  debates,  etc. 
These  things,  while  they  educate  and  develop  the 
mind,  have  a  tendency  to  divert  the  mind  of  the  pris¬ 
oner  from  the  feelings  of  disgrace  and  the  deplorable 
situation;  and  instead  of  spending  hours  brooding  in 
despondency  it  awakens  an  activity  of  the  mind  and 
new  thoughts  for  consideration  during  the  solitary 
hours. 


LITERARY  PRIVILEGES. 


39 


Every  prison  should  supply  each  cell  with  a  Bible. 
Many  do  this  while  others  do  not.  The  prisoners 
should  also  have  access  to  the  library  and  permission  to 
call  for  any  book  in  the  library.  Where  they  are  thus 
looked  after  it  is  the  duty  of  certain  prisoners  to  go  to 
each  cell  and  learn  what  book  is  desired  for  the  coming 
week  and  to  take  up  the  one  which  was  in  their  pos¬ 
session  during  the  past  week.  These  requests  are  taken 
to  the  librarian  and  the  books  selected  and  distributed 
according  to  number.  Prisoners  who  mutilate  or  de¬ 
stroy  the  books  in  any  way  are  denied  the  privilege  of 
having  a  book  to  read  for  a  few  weeks.  If  the  offence 
is  repeated  the  punishment  on  this  line  is  more  severe 
and  they  are  then  neither  allowed  to  receive  a  book  or 
paper  or  are  refused  all  privileges  of  the  library  and  not 
even  allowed  to  have  paper  or  writing  material  to  com¬ 
municate  with  their  friends.  With  most  prisoners  this 
is  a  severe  punishment.  One  who  has  not  been  thus 
incarcerated  or  had  to  spend  weeks  and  months  in 
solitude  can  scarcely  realize  the  value  of  good  books  to 
read  under  such  circumstances.  But  he  who  has  had 
the  actual  experience  knows  just  how  to  appreciate 
such  a  privilege. 

During  the  civil  war  a  number  of  Union  men  made 
a  daring  raid  through  the  Confederate  line  and  were 
afterward  captured  and  cast  into  dungeons  where  they 
spent  weeks  of  suffering,  amid  heart-rending  scenes, 
and  notwithstanding  their  extreme  hunger,  thirst,  and 
the  stifling  odor  of  their  dark  underground  prison  and 


40 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


suffering  much  from  their  shackles  and  clanking 
chains,  they  were  taken  from  place  to  place  and  then 
brought  to  trial.  Seven  of  their  number  were  hanged, 
leaving  about  a  dozen  remaining  who  were  expecting 
to  be  called  out  to  follow  in  their  footsteps  at  any 
time.  Through  some  sudden  change  or  maneuver  of 
war  the  remainder  of  these  men  were  left  in  prison 
with  guards  over  them  and  only  a  meager  supply  of 
food.  As  the  seven  of  their  comrades  were  taken  from 
their  midst  to  the  place  of  execution  those  who  re¬ 
mained  were  in  much  distress  of  mind.  During  the 
morning  hours  before  this  they  had  spent  the  time  in 
playing  cards,  now  and  then  an  oath  escaping  their 
lips,  but  now  the  scene  changed.  Some  one  suggested 
that  they  should  pray.  There  was  but  little  hope  of 
them  escaping  the  fate  of  their  comrades  and  thus  soon 
be  hurled  into  eternity,  and  what  added  more  to  the 
darkness  of  the  hour  was  the  fact  that  they  had  not 

made  their  peace  with  God.  One  of  the  surviving 

* 

party  describes  the  occurrence  as  follows: 

“From  this  time  forward  we  had  religious  exercises 
morning  and  evening  and  found  them  a  great  consola- 
tion  and  support.  We  began  and  closed  the  day  right 
and  thus  added  sweetness  to  all  its  hours,  supplying  a 
subject  of  thought  not  bearing  directly  upon  our  future 
gloomy  prospects  and  thus  enabling  us  to  maintain 
better  mental  health.  We  always  sang  a  hymn  or  two 
on  these  occasions.  We  sang  ‘Kock  of  Ages,’  ‘Jesus, 
Lover  of  my  Soul,’  and  others  of  a  pronounced  spir- 


LITERARY  PRIVILEGES. 


41 


itual  cast.  This  greatly  astonished  the  guards.  They 
were  given  strict  charge  to  watch  us  closely  with  the 
statement  that  we  were  the  most  desperate  characters 
in  the  whole  United  States.  Then  to  hear  us  singing 
‘hymns’  and  know  that  we  had  prayer  morning  and 
evening  was  a  contradiction  they  found  hard  to  recon¬ 
cile  .  .  .  What  would  we  not  now  have  given  for  the 
counsels  and  assistance  of  a  minister  whom  we  could 
fully  trust!  Just  how  to  be  religious  was  the  puzzle.  I 
know  if  I  had  a  command  to  execute  from  an  army 
officer  I  would  do  it,  if  in  my  power,  no  matter  how 
difficult  or  dangerous,  and  I  wished  intensely  that  it 
was  just  as  easy  to  be  religious  as  to  be  a  soldier;  but 
there  was  the  question  of  right  feelings  and  right 
motives  that  did  not  seem  to  come  into  play  very  much 
in  the  army.  lor  if  a  soldier  did  his  duty  he  was  not 
apt  to  be  asked  how  he  felt  about  it.  I  had  the  belief 
that  1  must  have  joy  and  rapture  in  thinking  of  death 
and  readiness  to  shout  God’s  praises,  which  I  did  not 
feel;  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  I  could  not  reach 
a  genuine  conversion.  I  diligently  read  the  Bible 
which  we  had  borrowed,  and  while  I  enjoyed  many 
things  in  it,  little  direct  guidance  for  me  was  found.  I 
asked  counsel  of  our  captain  for  whom  I  had  the 
greatest  esteem  and  respect,  but  it  was  so  easy  for  him 
to  believe  that  I  thought  his  case  must  be  very  unlike 
my  own,  so  1  spoke  to  another  one  of  our  company, 
the  only  one  of  our  number  who  had  a  clear  religious 
faith,  and  seemed  to  be  happy  in  it.  His  first  answer 


42 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


was  very  striking.  I  asked  how  he  felt  about  death. 
He  thought  I  referred  to  our  worldly  prospect,  and 
answered  that  probably  we  would  soon  all  be  put  to 
death.  ‘But  what  is  your  feeling  about  death  itself?’ 
I  continued.  He  said,  ‘I  am  not  afraid  to  die  if  it  is 
God’s  will.  I  trust  him  now  and  1  expect  to  trust 
him  to  the  last.’ 

He  took  my  hand  and  there  was  a  steady  light  in  his 
eye  that  made  me  believe  every  word  he  said.  But  when 
I  asked  him  how  he  got  such  a  faith,  he  could  only  tell 
me  that  he  went  to  a  ‘mourners’  bench’  two  years 
before  and  sought  till  he  found  it.  This  did  m£  40 
good,  for  there  was  no  place  accessible  here.  I11  sore 
perplexity  I  read  the  Bible  from  day  to  day  and  prat¬ 
ed,  taking  my  turn  in  praying  aloud  and  reading  with 
the  others.  At  length  1  thought  I  began  to  see  that 
trusting  Christ  must  be  something  like  taking  his 
words  and  teachings  for  my  guide,  trying  to  do  all 
that  He  commanded,  and  leading  the  result  while  I  did 
this  witn  him.  This  was  not  that  sudden  transforma¬ 
tion  that  I  had  hoped,  but  I  soon  found  that  it  opened 
up  a  good  many  things  that  I  had  never  dreamed  of. 
One  of  these  seemed  especially  strange  under  the  cir¬ 
cumstances.  1  had  yet  but  a  slender  hope  of  ever 
escaping  from  the  prison  except  by  the  way  of  the 
scaffold.  But  in  spite  of  that  dark  prospect  as  an 
absolute  test  of  my  obedience — ‘Will  you,  if  satisfied 
that  it  is  God’s  will,  be  ready  to  give  up  the  profession 
of  law  if  you  ever  get  home  and  go  into  the  ministry?’ 


LITERARY  PRIVILEGES . 


43 


The  first  and  spontaneous  reply  was,  No!  I  had 
studied  law  and  meant  to  practice  it  if  I  ever  got 
where  law  reigned.  But  at  once  the  self  response  was 
clear,  ‘What  kind  of  obedience  was  this?’  I  saw  that 
I  was  not  sincere  in  professing  to  enlist  under  Christ 
as  my  captain  unless  I  would  really  obey  him.  It 
would  be  a  poor  allegiance  that  stopped  short  with  the 
things  I  wanted  to  do.  For  a  long  time  1  could  not 
pass  this  point.  The  difficulty  when  communicated  to 
my  prison  companions  seemed  utterly  absurd.  ‘Try 
to  serve  God  in  the  prison  where  you  are,’  they  said 
with  a  cheer  plausibility,  ‘and  do  not  bother  about 
preaching,  being  a  lawyer  or  anything  else,  when  you 
get  out,  for  you  never  will  get  out.’  This  seemed 
good  advice  but  it  would  not  give  a  serene  mind  or  the 
victory  over  th  fear  of  death,  which  I  so  much  desir¬ 
ed. 

“One  after  another  of  those  in  the  prison-found  the 
comfort  I  lacked.  And  it  was  not  until  wearied  and 
worn-out  that  I  vowed  that  if  God  would  only  give  me 
peace  I  would  serve  him  as  sincerely  in  prison  or  out 
of  it  as  I  had  tried  to  serve  my  country,  and  in  any  way 
he  might  direct.  From  this  Lime  I  did  have  a  steady 
conviction  that  I  was  on  the  Lord’s  side  and  that  I 
had  a  right  to  commit  myself  and  my  life  to  his  keep¬ 
ing.  Though  all  newspapers  were  strictly  forbidden, 
yet  through  the  kindness  of  negro  waiters  we  were 
supplied  and  thus  kept  posted  regarding  war  news.  .  . 
We  all  remember  with  deepest  gratitude  the  visit  of 


44 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


a  minister.  When  he  left  he  promised  to  send  us  some 
hooks  and  did  not  forget  to  promptly  forward  them. 
These  we  took  good  care  of,  read  thoroughly  to  all  in 
the  room,  and  then  returned,  asking  for  more.  These 

he  generously  gave  and  we  thus  continued  until  we  had 

%  % 

read  nearly  his  whole  library.  Those  only  who  know 
what  a  dreadful  weariness  it  is  to  pass  days  without 
any  definite  employment  can  realize  the  great  boon 
these  good  books  bestowed  on  us.  It  made  the  prison 

room  a  veritable  school,  and  in  view  of  our  religious 

% 

efforts  the  character  of  the  books  was  just  what  we 
would  most  have  desired,  as  they  were  of  a  religious 
cast,  which  only  made  them  the  more  welcome.  But 
there  is  no  employment  upon  which  I  look  back  with 
more  pleasure  than  that  for  which  the  minister’s  books 
furnished  us  the  material.  With  fifteen  persons  in  a 
room  not  more  than  eighteen  feet  square  it  was  need¬ 
ful  to  preserve  quiet  if  any  reading  must  be  done. 
We  therefore  appointed  regular  reading  hours,  two  in 
the  forenoon  and  the  same  in  the  afternoon.  During 
this  time  no  one  was  permitted  to  speak  above  a  low 
whisper  and  all  noise  and  running  .about  was  forbid¬ 
den.  Those  who  did  not  wish  to  read  might  sleep. 
Sometimes  the  books  were  read  silently,  but  for  a  part 
of  the  time  in  nearly  every  period  a  volume  of  general 
interest  would  be  selected  and  read  aloud.  These 
books  would  often  furnish  subjects  and  arguments  for 
discussion  in  the  debating  periods  that  followed.  We 
gained  a  great  deal  of  knowledge  in  our  novel  school* 


LITERARY  PRIVILEGES. 


45 


which  has  been  of  lifelong  value.  Books  of  travel, 
adventure,  history,  biography,  and  theology — no 
fiction — were  freely  read  and  brought  the  freshness  of 
the  outside  world  into  our  dreary  captivity.” 

The  foregoing  gives  us  a  vague  idea  of  what  can  be 
done  for  the  welfare  of  the  prisoners  in  the  jails,  work- 
houses,  and  penal  institutions  of  our  land,  towards 
making  the  prisoners  happy  by  supplying  them  with 
good  books,  tracts,  papers,  and  such  like.  Oh,  the 
neglect  on  this  line!  Were  prisoners  thus  supplied, 
their  minds  would  not  be  occupied  during  the  solitary 
hours  in  scheming  and  planning  the  best  modes  of  per¬ 
petrating  crime.  Get  a  man  interested  in  a  good  book 
and  you  thus  place  him  in  good  company.  He  may 
never  see  you,  but  with  deep  feelings  of  gratitude  will 
ever  have  the  kindest  feelings  toward  those  who  thus 
bestowed  the  kind  favor  of  placing  him  in  possession 
of  such  a  companion. 

For  the  entertainment  of  the  prisoner  and  to  develop 
an  interest  in  literary  work  they  have  been  allowed  to 
publish  prison  papeis.  Some  of  these  are  very  small 
while  others  are  large  and  well  edited.  About  three 
y*ars  ago  at  Sing  Sing  Prison,  in  the  state  of  New  York, 
it  was  decided  to  issue  a  bi-weekly  twenty-six-page 
paper  to  be  edited  and  printed  entirely  by  convicts. 
No  article  is  allowed  in  the  paper  except  those  com¬ 
posed  and  furnished  by  the  inmates  of  the  prison. 
When  papers  are  thus  printed  and  distributed  among 
the  prisoners  it  has  a  great  controlling  influence  and 
creates  a  general  interest  in  literary  work. 


46 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


TOBACCO  ALLOWANCE. 

Most  prisoners  are  users  of  tobacco,  yet  there  are 

* 

many  who  do  nt)t  use  it.  Some  prisons  allow  a  pound 
of  tobacco  a  month,  some  two  pounds  every  month. 
This  is  generally  manufactured  at  the  prison  where  it 
is  used.  One  of  the  modes  of  punishment,  and  a  very 
effective  one  too,  is  to  deprive  the  men  of  their  tobacco 
for  disobedience.  With  many  this  is  one  of  ttm  most 
severe  punishments  instituted  When  a  man  enters 
prison  he  is  given  a  copy  of  the  rules  of  the  prison  and 
also  a  ticket  stating  the  privileges  of  the  use  of  the 
library,  books,  letter-writing,  tobacco  allowance,  etc. 
Failure  to  comply  with  the  rules  ofttimes  means  to  be 
deprived  of  these  privileges  for  a  month  or  longer. 
Some  time  ago  we  placed  a  number  of  tracts  in  prisons 
showing  the  evil  effects  of  tobacco  on  the  human  sys¬ 
tem,  the  filthiness  and  offensiveness  of  tobacco,  etc., 
and  we  were  pleased  to  note  the  results  by  way  of  con¬ 
vincing  many  prisoners  to  discontinue  the  use  and 
give  up  the  habit.  While  some  are  able  by  strong  will¬ 
power  to  discontinue  the  use  of  it,  yet  but  compara¬ 
tively  few  people  can  in  their  own  strength  quit  its  use 
and  rid  themselves  of  the  appetite.  But  many  can 
testify  that  they  have  not  only  been  able  to  quit  its  use, 
but  have  had  the  appetite  removed  by  the  power  of 
God  in  answer  to  prayer* 


PRISONERS’  WORK. 


47 


PRISONERS’  WORK. 

Men  and  women  are  sent  to  prison  to  work.  The 
sentence  is  generally  so  many  years  in  state  prison 
at  hard  labor.  It  is  right  and  proper  that  they  should 
work  and  should  be  made  to  work  faithfully.  It  is  not 
supposed  that  they  receive  a  sentence  to  enter  a  par¬ 
adise  for  so  many  years.  In  the  different  prisons  the 
work  is  quite  different.  There  are  prisons  where  the 
prisoners  are  required  to  spend  almost  their  entire 
time  of  working  hours  from  600  to  800  feet  under 
ground  digging  coal.  At  some  places  the  veins  of  coal 
are  so  shallow  that  the  prisoners  are  compelled  to  lie 
down  and  stretch  themselves  out  or  be  in  a  half-way  sit¬ 
ting  posture  while  at  their  work.  Such  prisoners  often 
contract  colds,  rheumatism,  and  other  diseases  which 
rapidly  shorten  their  lives.  In  other  prisons  they  are 
taken  out  in  gangs  to  work  on  the  public  highways 
and  crush  stone.  However,  some  prisons  furnish  the 
prisoners  work  within  the  prison  walls.  Much  of  this 
labor  is  let  out  to  contractors  who  have  a  business  of 
making  clothing,  harness,  whips,  brooms,  etc.  In 
such  cases  the  contractors  pay  the  state  a  small 
amount  each  day  for  the  labor  of  the  prisoners.  Many 
complaints  have  been  made,  and  many  of  them  justly, 
because  of  the  unfair  requirements  and  treatment  of 
the  prisoners.  This  should  be  more  carefully  looked 
after  by  the  prison  inspectors  of  the  state,  and  we  are 


48 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS, 


glad  to  know  tliat  in  many  places  it  is  receiving  atten¬ 
tion. 

The  time  for  working  ranges  from  ten  to  fourteen 
hours  per  day.  In  cbe  United  States  prison  at  Leaven¬ 
worth,  Kans.  they  rise  at  six  o’clock,  and  when  the 
men  are  ready  to  go  to  their  work,  three  hundred  of 
them  march  two  miles  and  one-half  to  their  work,  a 
hundred  more  go  two  miles  in  another  direction  to 
work  on  a  farm,  while  others  are  otherwise  occupied 
till  six  o’clock  in  the  evening.  As  a  general  thing, 
if  the  prisoner  is  careful  to  obey  the  rules  and  work 
well,  he  is  not  likely  to  have  much  trouble  with  the 
officials.  However,  in  some  prisons  very  few  escape 
extra  punishments  of  some  kind. 


THE  STOCKADES. 


The~stockade  is  an  enclosure,  or  pen,  made  with  posts 
or  sticks  stuck  in  the  ground.  It  is  generally  a  tem¬ 
porary  affair.  These  are  to  be  found  in  the  South  and 
southwest  mostly.  Here  is  where  the  worst  treat¬ 
ment  is  to  be  found  among  the  prisoners.  Some  of  the 
southern  states  are  providing  better  for  their  pris¬ 
oners,  but  others  are  far  behind  what  they  should  be. 
A  stockade  is  sometimes  made  on  the  top  of  a  moun¬ 
tain  or  in  some  suitable  place  for  working  mines.  In 
these  southern  states  not  only  mining  is  carried  on  by 
the  prisoners,  but  building  of  roads,  railroads,  and 


THE  CHAIN  GANG. 


49 


such  like.  For  instance,  where  a  railroad  is  being  built, 
large  cars  are  roughly  and  strongly  built  in  which  the 
prisoners  are  locked  when  not  at  their  work.  Women 
in  some  of  these  places  are  required  to  clear  the  land, 
roll  logs,  do  drudgery,  and  in  many  instances  are  so 
shamefully  used  and  treated  that  it  is  a  disgrace  to  a 
civilized  nation.  But  while  such  is  the  case  there  are 
noble  men  and  women  who  are  not  connected  with  the 
prison,  as  well  as  many  of  the  more  noble  prison 
officers  who  have  been  working  faithfully  for  years  to 
bring  about  a  prison  reform,  and  much  has  been  done 
and  is  being  done  on  that  line.  However,  could  the 
veil  be  drawn  aside  that  all  might  fully  realize  the 
situation,  the  reformation  would  be  more  rapid  and 
effective.  The  stockades  do  not  have  literary  priv¬ 
ileges  as  a  general  thing  as  do  our  older  and  well- 
established  prisons.  We  have  received  communications 
from  officers  in  these  stockades  who  are  very  anxious 
to  have  good  literature  placed  at  their  disposal,  assur¬ 
ing  us  that  the  same  would  be  highly  appreciated  and 
used  to  the  advantage  of  the  prisoners. 


THE  CHAIN  GANG. 

It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see  a  chain  gang 
of  prisoners,  especially  about  the  stockades.  Some¬ 
times  they  are  marched  to  and  from  their  work  shack¬ 
led  with  handcuffs,  while  others  are  fastened  with 


60 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


clanking  chains.  There  are  also  men  to  be  found  with 
iron  bands  or  rings  welded  around  their  necks,  to  which 
a  chain  is  fastened  with  the  other  end  of  the  chain 
attached  to  a  ball  to  prevent  their  escape.  These  are 
generally  the  most  desperate  characters. 

To  those  who  are  acquainted  with  such  scenes  it  is 
shocking  indeed,  and  creates  a  feeling  of  pity  and 
sympathy  which  calls  for  a  more  humane  treatment  in 
behalf  of  the  poor  unfortunates.  .  There  are  men  who 
serve  almost  an  entire  term  of  sentence  in  stocks  or 
irons,  or  go  to  their  work  in  the  chain  gang,  because 
of  a  lack  of  proper  provision  of  accommodations  on 
the  part  of  the  state  or  government,  or  by  unjust, 
inhumane  treatment. 

Few  men  have  fallen  so  low  in  sin  and  degradation, 
or  have  been  so  hardened  by  crime,  but  yet  have  at  least 
a  spark  of  humanity  or  manhood  which  can  be  kindled 
to  a  flame  by  proper  humane  and  reformative  treat¬ 
ment;  where,  on  the  other  hand,  an  undue  amount  of 
the  imposition  of  Irons  and  chains  causes  them  to 
grind  with  revenge,  and  seemingly  the  little  spark  of 
manhood  is  seared  over  with  a  more  hardened  con¬ 
science,  leaving  him  still  a  criminal  almost  bevond 
redemption. 


I 


iiBRASY 

OF  THE 


0. 


0 


THE  FELON’S  CELL. 


53 


THE  FELON’S  CELL. 


When  one  is  taken  to  serve  a  term  in  prison,  has 
exchanged  his  citizen’s  clothes  for  a  suit  of  stripes, 
is  measured,  and  a  full  description  is  written  in  the 
prison  books,  he  is  taken  to  a  cell  which  is  to  be  his 
future  abode  during  his  confinement,  except  what 
time  he  is  at  work,  at  his  meals,  or  is  otherwise 
stationed  by  the  prison  officers.  We  can  here  only  give 
a  description  of  what  is  commonly  found  to  be  a  prison 
cell.  It  is  a  small  iron  room  with  a  stone  floor,  and 
when  two  convicts  are  to  occupy  the  same  cell,  there 
are  two  bunks  or  beds  in  the  cell.  The  bed-rack  is  made 
of  iron  or  wood  slats,  and  the  bed-tick  is  generally 
filled  with  corn-husks  or  some  similar  material,  like¬ 
wise  the  pillow.  When  the  beds  are  not  in  use  they 
are  fastened  to  the  side  of  the  wall  with  a  chain. 
When  down  and  in  use  they  take  up  nearly  the  entire 
space  of  the  cell,  so  that  it  is  impossible  for  the  two 
occupants  to  pass  each  other  in  walking  to  and  fro. 
The  other  furniture  generally  consists  of  a  small  tin- 
bucket  holding  about  two  quarts  of  water,  and  a  wash¬ 
basin.  A  short-handled  broom  is  also  found  in  one 
corner  of  the  cell  with  which  the  convict  brushes  it 
every  morning.  The  walls  are  either  iron  or  stone, 
decorated  with  a  small  looking-glass  and  a  towel. 
Each  cell  contains  one  chair,  as  there  is  not  room  for 
two;  so  that  when  one  sits  on  the  chair  the  other 


54 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


stands  or  occupies  a  seat  on  the  stone  floor.  The  dooi 
is  made  of  half-inch  iron  bars  crossing  each  other  at 
right  angles,  leaving  spaces  about  two  by  six  inches. 
Through  these  spaces  come  the  air,  light,  and  heat. 

To  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  how  one  would  nat¬ 
urally  feel  on  the  first  introduction  to  such  a  place,  we 
will  give  it  in  the  language  of  a  prisoner,  who  says: 
“After  examination  I  was  shown  to  mv  cell.  It  was 
now  about  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  of  my  first  day 
in  prison.  I  remained  in  the  chair  during  the  entire 
afternoon.  Of  all  the  dark  hours  of  an  eventful 
history  none  have  been  filled  with  more  gloom  and 
sadness  than  those  of  my  first  day  in  prison.  All  my 
life  I  moved  in  the  highest  circles  of  society,  surround¬ 
ed  by  the  best  and  purest  of  both  sexes,  and  now  I  was 
in  the  deplorable  condition  of  having  been  hurled  from 
that  high  social  condition  down  to  the  low,  degraded 
plane  of  a  convict.  As  I  sat  there  in  that  desolate 
abode  of  the  disgraced  I  tried  to  look  out  down  the 
future.  All  was  dark.  For  a  time  it  seemed  as  ii 
that  sweet  angel  we  call  Hope  had  spread  her  wings 
and  taken  her  departure  from  me  forever.  The  black 
cloud  of  despair  somewhat  settled  down  upon  me.  But 
very  few  prisoners  possess  the  ability  to  make  anything 
of  themselves  after-  having  served  a  term  in  the  pen¬ 
itentiary.  I  sat  brooding  over  these  things  for  an 
hour  or  more  and  my  manhood  asserted  itself  and  hope 
returned.  I  reasoned  thus:  1  am  a  young  man,  I  enjoy 
good  health,  there  will  be  only  a  few  months  of  im- 


THE  FELON'S  CELL . 


55 


prisonment,  and  then  I  will  be  free.  I  thought  of  my 
loving  wife,  little  children,  my  aged  mother,  my  kind 
friends,  and  for  their  sake  I  would  not  yield  to  de¬ 
spair.  Soliciting  aid  of  a  kind  heavenly  Father  I 
resolved  to  do  the  best  I  could  toward  regaining  what 
I  had  lost.  I  was  aware  of  the  fact  that  when  I  got 
out  of  the  penitentiary  all  the  money  I  would  have 
with  which  to  make  another  start  in  life  would  be 
five  dollars.  The  United  States  presents  her  prisoners 
upon  discharge  with  a  suit  of  citizens’  clothes  and 
five  dollars.  This  was  my  capital.” 

Truly  such  a  sad  condition  would  be  deplorable,  but 
the  prisoner  can  only  assert  his  manhood,  lay  his  plans 
for  the  future,  and  determine  to  rise  above  it  all,  which 
is  not  impossible.  Many  have  risen  to  a  good  stand¬ 
ing  in  life.  What  has  been  done  can  be  done  again. 

Prisoners  who  are  sentenced  to  be  hanged  are  gen¬ 
erally  taken  to  a  cell  in  the  execution  house  separate 
from  the  other  prisoners.  The  convict  thus  doomed 
spends  the  time  in  this  prison  and  is  not  required  to 
work.  A  few  months  ago  I  visited  a  prison,  and  in  the 
execution  building  I  found  two  prisoners  in  solitary 
cells.  One  seemed  to  have  made  his  peace  with  God, 
but  the  other  was  in  deep  trouble  over  his  soul,  was  not 
ready  to  meet  God, and  had  only  a  few  more  days  to  live. 
It  seemed  he  could  not  pray.  He  had  been  reading  his 
Bible  and  other  religious  books,  but  hope  had  almost 
fled.  After  talking  with  him  fora  time,  1  said,  “  Young 
man,  your  time  is  short  unless  God  in  some  way  in- 


66 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


tervenes.*  If  you  have  been  guilty  of  crime  and  are 
trying  to  hide  it  from  your  fellow  men  or  denying  the 
charge,  you  can  not  hide  it  from  God.  Acknowledge 
before  him  the  facts  as  they  are  and  call  upon  him  for 
help.”  After  praying  with  him  for 'a  while  he  gave 
vent  to  his  feelings  in  most  earnest  pleas  to  God,  cry¬ 
ing  out,  “I  am  a  murderer.”  He  continued  his  earnest 
pleas  until  the  Lord  did  forgive  him.  A  week  or  two 
later  when  the  death  sentence  was  read  to  him  in  his 
cell,  he  was  ready,  and  made  the  remark  that  they 
could  only  take  away  his  breath,  for  his  soul  would 
be  forever  landed  in  peace.  I  saw  him  march  up  to 
the  gallows,  and  as  his  legs  and  arms  were  being 
strapped  and  a  rope  tied  about  his  neck  he  glanced 
heavenward  as  if  breathing  a  silent  prayer,  and  when 
the  electric  signal  was  given,  he  dropped  into  eternity. 


THE  LIBKARY. 


While  many  prisons  are  not  yet  supplied  with  a 
library,  there  are  efforts  being  made  on  this  line  for 
the  education  and  elevation  of  the  minds  of  the  pris 
oners.  For  those  who  have  already  received  an  educa¬ 
tion  there  are  many  valuable  books  in  the  library  to 
furnish  them  something  to  occupy  their  minds  at  such 
times  as  they  may  have  to  read.  Some  states  furnish 
so  many  thousand  books  and  an  appropriation  of  $500 
a  year  for  library  purposes.  Among  the  books 


THE  LIBRARY. 


67 


furnished  are  scientific  works,  history,  biography,  and 
others  of  a  religious  and  moral  nature,  together  with 
many  novels  and  works  of  fiction.  The  Christian 
people  of  our  land  should  see  to  it  that  a  greater  num¬ 
ber  of  books  of  a  real  spiritual  cast  are  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  prisoners. 

About  two  years  ago,  after  receiving  some  earnest 
letters  of  appreciation  and  thankfulness  from  pris¬ 
oners  who  had  received  books  and  papers,  a  deeper 
sympathy  was  awakened  in  their  behalf.  For  some 
days  I  became  greatly  burdened  in  behalf  of  a  certain 
prison,  concerning  supplying  the  prisoners  with  a 
library  of  good  books.  Not  knowing  whether  they  had 
a  library  or  whether  the  prison  officials  would  receive 
the  books  and  put  them  into  the  hands  of  the  pris¬ 
oners,  I  hesitated.  As  the  burden  for  this  matter 
could  not  be  so  easily  thrown  off,  my  next  step  was  to 
visit  the  prison  and  make  investigations  through  the 
prison  officials,  and  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  find  they 
were  without  a  library, though  at  that  time  were  prepar¬ 
ing  a  large  library  room,  intending  to  make  a  plea  to  the 
people  for  a  donation  of  books.  As  soon  as  the  room 
.  was  finished  it  was  my  pleasure  to  see  that  $1000 
worth  of  well-bound  books  were  placed  in  the  li¬ 
brary  for  the  prisoners,  being  donated  by  those  who 
have  an  interest  in  the  men  behind  the  bars.  It 
has  also  been  a  source  of  gratitude  to  know  that  these 
books  have  been  appreciated  and  enjoyed  by  the  many 
prisoners  who  read  them  in  their  cells  and  in  the  library. 


53 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


In  some  prisons  about  twenty  per  cent,  or  more  of 
the  prisoners  are  unable  to  read  or  write.  For  this 
reason  schools  are  being  formed  where  such,  especially 
those  who  desire  to  do  so,  can  have  a  chance  to  receive 
an  education.  These  schools  are  generally  held  in  the 
library  room  and  taught  by  one  of  the  prisoners. 


THE  CHAPEL. 


The  chapel  is  the  place  where  prisoners  get  most  of 
their  public  instruction  aside  from  what  is  obtained  in 
the  hbrary.  It  is  not  often  that  they  have  the  priv¬ 
ilege  of  attending  educational  lectures  as  if  they  were 
attending  a  college  or  public  school;  however,  in  our 
better  prisons  steps  are  being  taken  to  give  the  well- 
behaved  prisoners  advantages  on  this  line  occasionally. 
The  general  meetings  on  Sunday  are  |held  in  the 
chapel,  to  which  the  prisoners  are  marched  in  regular 
order,  where  several  hundred  are  in  weekly  attend¬ 
ance.  The  chaplain  generally  conducts  the  regular 
services  or  has  ministers  from  the  city  to  take  their, 
turns  in  preaching  to  them.  Prison  evangelists  are 
often  given  the  privilege  of  talking  to  the  prisoners  or 
visiting  them  at  their  cells  for  the  welfare  of  their 
souls.  There  are  prisons  where  all  visitors  and  gospel 
workers  are  admitted  free,  while  other  prisons  charge 
t>venty-five  cents  admission  fee.  Aside  from  what  is 


THE  CHAPEL , 


59 


known  as  the  regular  chapel  services,  the  prisoners  who 
desire  to  meet  before  that  hour  or  remain  after,  in  a 
social  religious  prayer-service  or  Bible  class,  can  have 
the  privilege  of  doing  so.  All  prisoners  are  allowed  to 
sing  at  the  general  services,  although  they  generally 
have  a  select  choir.  One  man  in  giving  a  report  of  the 
prison  choir  said:  “At  one  time  we  had  two  horse 
thieves,  two  rapists — one  with  a  sentence  of  forty 
years — three  murderers,  two  hog  thieves,  and  several 
others  with  equally  villainous  records.”  It  would  be 
difficult  at  such  a  place  to  select  a  choir  that  had  a 
clean  past  record.  While  these  men  were  criminals 
when  incarcerated,  some  of  them  will  doubtless  always 
remain  criminals,  while  others  have  so  reformed  as  to 
be  worthy  of  a  better  name. 

Many  prisoners  during  their  confinement  actually 
get  a  real  experience  of  salvation,  and  those  desiring  to 
be  baptized  by  immersion  go  from  the  chapel  to  the 
laundry,  and  there  in  a  well-filled  tank  or  long  trough- 
like  tub  receive  the  ordinance  of  baptism.  The  chapel 
does  not  have  stained-glass  windows  nor  the  finery  of 
many  modern  church  buildings;  nevertheless  the  place 
is  supposed  to  have  everything  neat  and  in  order,  and 
the  men  are  to  observe  the  strictest  decorum  and 
reverence  while  in  attendance. 


60 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


SCALING  THE  PRISON  WALL. 


There  are  in  almost  every  prison  those  who  are  called 
“trusties” — prisoners  who  are  given  the  privilege  of 
doing  work  outside  of  the  prison,  going  on  errands, 
etc.,  without  the  presence  of  a  guard.  Others  have 
unusual  liberties  within  the  prison  walls.  Life  pris¬ 
oners  and  those  who  have  received  a  sentence  for  a 
number  of  years  and  have  not  yet  made  up  their  minds 
to  reform,  often  give  the  officials  considerable  trouble 
in  trying  to  make  their  escape;  although,  as  a  gen¬ 
eral  thing,  life  prisoners  are  well-behaved  persons. 
There  have  been  some  noted  and  desperate  efforts 
made  to  escape  prison.  Desperate  characters  have 
used  all  their  ingenuity  in  devising  plans  for  an  escape 
and  watch  an  opportunity  to  raise  an  insurrection  at  a 
critical  time.  There  have  been  times  when  the  in¬ 
surrection  was  so  great  as  to  defy  the  prison  officials, 
and  the  disturbance  could  only  be  quelled  by  the  dar¬ 
ing  boldness  and  wisdom  of  the  warden  or  general 
officer  in  charge.  When  a  number  of  desperate  pris¬ 
oners  get  such  an  advantage  they  will  fearlessly  face 
death  rather  than  yield.  A  few  such  noted  instances 
are  on  record.  It  is,  however,  very  difficult  for  a  pris¬ 
oner  to  make  good  his  escape.  If  successful  he  must 
go  under  an  assumed  name  and  always  be  a  fugitive 
from  justice.  If  a  failure  is  made  he  is  apt  to  have  to 
serve  his  full  sentence  instead  of  having  advantage  of 

o  o 

the  commutation  of  “short  time.” 


« 


/ 


USB ARY 
OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


SCALING  THE  PRISON  WALL. 


63 


Bloodhounds  are  kept  at  the  present  time  for  the 
purpose  of  capturing  those  who  try  to  make  their 
escape,  and  there  are  men  behind  the  prisonwalls  who 
carry  ugly  scars  made  from  deep  flesh  wounds  by  the 
bloodhounds  during  the  time  of  their  capture.  There 
are  times  when  a  fire  breaks  out  in  a  prison  which 
must  receive  immediate  attention  of  all  available  help. 
It  is  at  such  times  that  desperate  characters  undertake 
to  raise  an  insurrection  and  make  their  escape.  Many 
prisoners  have  been  known  at  such  times  to  show  their 
manhood,  and  offer  their  services  and  manifest  their 
loyalty  by  aiding  the  officers  in  keeping  the  prisoners 
in  subjection  and  in  extinguishing  the  flames.  Such 
prisoners  should  be  highly  rewarded,  and  many  of 
them  shortly  afterward  receive  their  pardon  in  honor 
of  their  loyalty  and  good  principles  shown.  The  pris¬ 
oner  who  desires  to  have  favors  shown  him  in  prison 
should,  upon  first  entering,  decide  to  obey  the  prison 
rules  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  Anything  to  the  con¬ 
trary  will  bring  the  ill  favor  of  the  prison  officials  upon 
him.  An  attempt  to  escape  will  not  be  forgotten  and 
he  will  be  very  closely  watched  and  denied  many 
privileges  which  he  could  have  otherwise  enjoyed,  and 
is  not  apt  to  be  made  a  “trustie.”  It  is  therefore  a 
wise  plan  to  decide  upon  perfect  submission  from  the 
beginning  of  the  confinement. 


64 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


A  PRISON  REFORM. 

The  highest  ideal  of  prison  life  is  not  simply  pun¬ 
ishment  for  evil  doing,  but  should  be  a  reformation  in 
the  lives  of  those  who  are  thus  incarcerated.  We 
are  glad  to  know  that  there  is  really  a  reformation 
being  brought  about  in  the  rules  and  government  of 
the  prisons  in  our  land. 

It  is  said  of  one  of  the  kings  in  a  country  in  Europe 
that,  being  desirous  of  knowing  how  the  common  peo¬ 
ple  lived,  he  diessed  himself  as  a  peasant  or  tramp  and 
went  about  from  place  to  place  among  the  poorer  class 
of  people,  and  while  thus  lounging  about  the  city  he 
was  met  by  a  policeman  who  demanded  him  to  give  an 
account  of  himself.  Not  giving  the  proper  satisfac¬ 
tion,  the  policeman  hurried  him  off  to  a  dungeon-like 
cell.  The  prisons  under  that  king’s  domain  were  in  a 
sad  condition — dirty,  filthy,  alive  with  vermin,  and 
were  most  degrading  places.  Thus  the  king  was  obliged 
to  spend  the  night  in  such  horrible  quarters,  which  was 
in  great  contrast  to  the  royal  palace.  However,  it  was 
a  night  well  spent,  though  but  little  enjoyed  by  the 
king.  He  was  touched  as  never  before  by  a  sympa¬ 
thetic  feeling  for  the  poor  unfortunate  human  beings 
who  were  cast  into  such  places.  He  at  once  ordered  a 
renovation  of  all  the  prisons  throughout  his  king¬ 
dom. 

Aside  from  our  penitentiaries,  there  are  jails,  work- 


A  PRISON  REFORM. 


65 


houses,  and  places  of  imprisonment,  many  of  which  are 
allowed  to  become  filthy,  with  lice  and  other  yermin 
in  almost  every  crevice,  making  the  place  not  only  ex¬ 
tremely  unpleasant  but  unhealthful  to  every  inmate. 
No  doubt  if  many  of  our  lawmakers  and  other  in¬ 
fluential  people  of  our  country  were  compelled  to 
spend  a  few  days  or  nights  in  such  prisons  there  would 
speedily  be  a  great  reformation  in  the  prisons  of  our 
own  land. 

Aside  from  cleanliness  and  government  of  prisons 
and  jails  there  is  a  reformation  in  which  we  can  all 
have  a  part,  and  help  to  point  the  unfortunate  ones  to 
Him  who  is  able  “to  bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the 
prison,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the  pris-t 
on-house.” — Isa.  42:7.  A  number  of  our  peniten¬ 
tiaries  have  comparatively  good  libraries  furnished  by 
the  state;  some  have  not  yet  been  supplied  with  li¬ 
braries;  and  even  among  those  that  are  supplied  there 
are  more  novels  than  good,  wholesome  religious  works. 
However,  in  some  prisons  each  prisoner  is  supplied 
with  a  Bible  of  small  print,  and  there  has  been  an 
earnest  plea  from  the  prisoners  for  good,  wholesome 
religious  literature  by  way  of  books,  tracts,  papers, 
etc.  Our  jails  have  as  a  general  thing  been  sadly 
neglected  on  this  line. 

A  few  months  ago  we  made  an  effort  through  the 
Gospel  Trumpet  Publishing  Company,  of  Moundsville, 
W.  Va.,  to  supply  jails  and  prisons  with  small  libraries 
of  good  unsectarian  religious  books,  such  as  would  be 


60 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


a  benefit  to  the  prisoners  and  tend  to  lead  them  to  a 
higher  aim  in  life.  We  were  soon  greatly  surprised  to 
realize  the  demand  from  prisoners  for  such  literature. 
A  few  hundred  jails  were  thus  supplied  with  libraries 
and  religious  papers.  It  was  almost  astonishing  to 
learn  in  reply  by  their  letters  of  appreciation  that  in 
many  places  they  had  never  been  thus  remembered 
before.  Some  prisoners  had  been  in  for  a  number  of 
months  without  any  religious  reading  matter  and 
scarcely  any  one  to  visit  them. 

Being  thus  reminded  of  a  lack  of  duty  brought  to 
mind  the  words  of  Jesus,  as  mentioned  in  the  twenty- 
fifth  chapter  of  Matthew,  wherein  he  was  speaking  of 
the  end  of  time  when  the  nations  should  gather  before 
him  and  he  would  separate  the  good  from  the  bad. 
And  we  read  where  he  says,  4 ‘Then  shall  the  King  say 
unto  them  on  his  right  hand,  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my 
Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world:  for  I  was  an  hungered, 
and  ye  gave  me  meat:  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me 
drink:  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in:  naked, 
and  ye  clothed  me:  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me:  I 
was  in  prison ,  and  ye  came  unto  me.  .  .  .  Inasmuch  as 
ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  breth¬ 
ren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.” 

My  dear  reader,  how  will  it  be  with  us  when  we  ap¬ 
pear  before  the  King  in  all  his  glory  in  that  day?  Can 
he  say  of  us  that  he  was  in  prison,  and  we  came  unto 
him?  Or  shall  he  be  compelled  to  utter  these  words: 


A  PRISON  REFORM . 


67 


“Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  pre¬ 
pared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels:  for  I  was  an 
hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat:  I  was  thirsty,  and 
ye  gave  me  no  drink:  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took 
me  not  in :  sick,  and  in  prison ,  and  ye  visited  me  not.  . 
Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of 
these,  ye  did  it  not  to  me”? 

While  we  enjoy  our  beautiful  homes  and  the  pleas¬ 
ures  of  life  and  freedom,  the  question  comes 
directly,  Have  we  done  our  duty  toward  the  prisoner? 
Have  we  visited  Jesus  in  the  prison?  We  may  not  be 
able  to  go  there  in  person,  but  we  can  visit  them  by 
providing  them  with  silent  messengers  by  way  of  good 
books,  tracts,  papers,  etc.  There  are  doubtless  thou¬ 
sands  of  professing  Christians  who  never  gave  a  dollar 
to  help  a  prisoner,  who  never  visited  a  prison  in  person 
or  in  any  other  way.  There  are  those  who  could 
spend  hundreds  of  dollars  in  supplying  prisons  and 
would  not  feel  the  weight  of  it  financially,  but  we 
should  make  an  effort  on  this  line  by  giving  to  the 
extent  that  we  may  feel  the  weight  of  the  sacrifice, 
and  thereby  God  will  be  greatly  glorified  and  many 
prisoners  led  to  seek  the  Lord  and  live  a  pure  and  holy 
life. 

Some  of  the  most  intelligent  and  highly  educated 
men  are  found  behind  the  prison-bars  and  fill  felons’ 
cells.  It  is  not  always  the  man  of  low  type,  ignorant 
and  uneducated,  that  thus  meets  his  doom.  There 
are  men  and  women  from  every  class  of  society.  There 


68 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


are  men  who  are  hardened  in  crime,  whose  con¬ 
sciences  seem  seared,  yet  none  so  hard-hearted,  none 
so  low  down  in  the  depths  of  sin  that  they  have  not  a 
spark  of  manhood  to  which  there  is  an  appeal.  Brutal 
treatment  will  not  reach  such  specimens  of  manhood; 
however,  they  must  he  brought  under  strict  discipline 
of  the  requirements  of  servitude  and  given  to  under¬ 
stand  that  perfect  obedience  is  required;  yet  with  all 
that,  when  they  are  told  in  a  kind,  gentle,  loving 
manner  and  given  to  understand  that  they  are  entitled 
to  the  best  privileges  of  the  prison  as  they  deserve  it, 
that  little  spark  of  manhood  will  soon  be  kindled  into 
a  flame.  There  are  prisons  where  a  small  per  cent,  of 
the  monthly  earnings  are  placed  to  their  credit,  which 
in  a  few  years  amounts  to  a  large  enough  sum  to  give 
them  a  fair  start  at  the  time  of  their  release.  If  they 
are  disobedient,  so  much  is  taken  from  their  credit. 
But  aside  from  the  kind  moral  treatment  there  must 
be  something  more  effective.  The  hearts  of  these  har¬ 
dened  criminals  must  be  changed  by  the  powTer  of  God. 
The  prison  officials  who  fail  to  realize  or  recognize  this 
necessity  have  to  a  great  extent  failed  in  their  refor¬ 
mative  efforts.  Every  effort  possible  should  be  extend¬ 
ed  in  behalf  of  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  prisoners. 

There  is  an  evil  existing  in  our  jails  and  work-houses 
that  is  startling  and  alarming,  nevertheless  it  contin¬ 
ues  throughout  the  breadth  of  our  land.  A  young 
man  or  wayward  boy  is  arrested  for  some  trivial 
offense;  it  is  probably  the  first  time  he  has  been  guilty 


<**'£.%*  'VI  - 


sioNim 


f  uismiNn 

m  jo 

Auvuan 


A  PRISON  REFORM 


71 


of  thus  breaking  the  law.  He  is  placed  behind  the 
prison-bars  to  await  a  preliminary  hearing  before  a 
justice  of  the  peace.  He  is  then  liable  to  be  sentenced 
for  from  thirty  to  ninety  days  in  jail,  or  bound  oyer 
to  court,  which  is  to  be  in  session  a  few  weeks  or 
months  later.  In  the  meantime  he  is  confined  in  the 
jail  to  await  hi3  arraignment  before  the  court. 

Let  us  now  take  a  look  at  the  jail  itself  and  its 
inmates.  It  is  well  secured  with  solid  walls,  iron 
doors,  and  prison-bars.  There  are  a  few  private  cells, 
a  broad  hallway,  and  large  room  into  which  from  five 
to  fifty  persons  are  confined.  Sometimes  even  a 
greater  number  are  thus  imprisoned  without  grade  or 
discrimination  of  crime.  The  tender  youth  must 
intermingle  with  those  who  are  steeped  in  sin  and 
hardened  in  crime.  He  is  here  taught  to  play  cards, 
read  novels,  use  vulgar  and  profane  language,  prac¬ 
tice  the  most  vile  habits,  plan  for  burglaries,  and 
comes  forth  a  rogue  at  heart,  and  a  hardened  criminal. 
Otherwise,  had  there  been  the  proper  discrimination, 
separating  those  who  are  just  starting  on  the  down¬ 
ward  course  from  the  hardened  criminals, there  would 
be  a  reformation  in  their  lives  instead  of  a  degenera¬ 
tion.  These  are  facts  that  can  not  be  denied — facts 
that  stare  us  in  the  face,  and  are  sad  truths  that  will 
continue  to  hover  over  us,  as  it  were,  until  the  good 
people  rise  up  and  protest  against  it  for  a  proper  re¬ 
formation  on  this  line.  The  good  people  of  our  land 
would  be  surprised,  yea,  stricken  with  consternation, 


72 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 

were  they  to  visit  most  jails  and  work-houses  and  make 
a  thorough  investigation,  to  behold  the  filth  and 
general  sanitary  condition  of  the  place,  which  is 
infested  with  lice  and  other  vermin. 

It  is  right  and  proper  to  send  people  to  jail  or  pris¬ 
on  who  will  not  behave  themselves.  They  need  both 
punishment  and  reformation.  This  can  be  done 
effectually  and  with  good  results  if  the  proper  course 
is  pursued. 


HISTORY  OF  WEST  VIRGINIA 
PENITENTIARY. 


WRITTEN  BY  A  PRISONER. 


In  1863  the  state  was  admitted  as  one  of  the  con¬ 
stellation  of  states  of  the  union.  Virginia  had  seceded 
from  the  union  by  a  majority  vote.  The  strong  and 
indomitable  minority  citizens  of  the  Old  Dominion 
residing  in  the  western  part  of  it,  many  of  whom  were 
Scotch  and  Irish  descendants  and  natives  of  the  ad¬ 
joining  states,  who  had  taken  up  their  homes  in  the 
valleys  and  on  the  hillsides,  were  loyal  to  the  Union, 
loved  well  the  hag,  and  reverenced  with  an  undying 
affection  the  builders  of  the  union  of  states  for  the 
greater  blessing  of  the  people,  and  stood  firm  and 
unyielding  for  an  indivisible  united  country.  By 
their  hands  and  brave  hearts  they  built  a  state  stretch¬ 
ing  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Ohio  river,  carved  out 
of  the  Old  Dominion.  The  war-born  daughter  of  the 
historical  commonwealth  proved,  in  the  subsequent 
years,  to  be  rich  in  the  production  of  materials  in 
active  demand  in  the  marts  of  commerce,  and  she  now 
outstrips  her  mother  state  in  the  race  for  greatness, 
prosperity,  and  happiness. 

Many  regions  of  the  state  are  mountainous,  and  the 
principal  industries  are  lumbering,  mining,  and  oil 

73 


74 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


production.  Many  of  the  white  people  are  typical 
mountaineers  and  somewhat  rough  and  uncouth  in 
manner,  while  the  negroes,  many  of  them,  have  drift¬ 
ed  from  Korth  and  South  Carolina,  Alabama,  and 
other  southern  states  to  be  employed  in  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  these  industries. 

There  are  very  many  respectable  farmers,  profes¬ 
sional  and  business  men,  and  cultured  ladies  residing 
in  these  almost  inaccessible  parts;  but  the  rough 
element  in  many  places  predominates,  and  the  order 
of  the  day  and  night  is  drinking  and  brawling,  end¬ 
ing  as  a  rule  in  desperate  encounters  and  murder. 
Most  of  the  white  and  black  inmates  of  the  peniten¬ 
tiary  have  been  and  are  now  composed  of  the  lawless 
men  from  these  regions,  from  the  time  it  was  only  a 
stockade  of  ten  acres  in  1866,  when  Hon.  J.  W.  Mc¬ 
Whorter  of  the  Tenth  Judicial  District  was  appointed 
warden  by  Governor  Boreman.  He  resigned  the 
position  after  viewing  it.  In  a  letter  to  Warden  Hawk 
he  states  it  was  for  the  reason  that  there  was  not  so 
much  as  a  building  erected  for  the  shelter  of  the  in¬ 
mates,  and  he  thought  he  could  not  work  the  con¬ 
victs  to  advantage  under  the  circumstances.  The 
penitentiary  has  been  improved  from  time  to  time  to 
the  present,  by  additions,  until  it  is  a  massive  struc¬ 
ture  of  stone  and  iron,  with  a  high  stone  surrounding 
wall.  It  has  695  inmates  at  the  present  writing. 

The  center,  or  main  building,  is  built  after  the 
old  baronial  castellated  style  of  architecture,  and 


HISTORY  OF  IT,  VA.  PENITENTIARY \ 


T6 


with  its  several  stories  height,  it  makes  an  impos¬ 
ing  appearance.  It  is  flanked  on  the  north  and  south 
by  the  stone  and  strongly-barred  buildings,  wherein 
the  old  and  first  built  stone  cells  and  the  modern 
steel  ones — 900  in  all— are  placed.  Entrance  is  to  be 
had  into  the  prison  proper  by  means  of  a  round  turn¬ 
ing  iron-barred  cage  in  the  main  hallway  of  the  central 
building. 

The  cell-building  halls  are  kept  in  a  neat  and  clean 
condition;  the  cells  are  in  good  sanitary  condition  and 
are  kept  in  good  order  by  the  inmates,  many  of  whom 
are  artistic  in  taste  and  paint  and  make  many  fanci¬ 
ful  designs  as  adornments  of  their  small  sleeping 
quarters.  The  yard,  limited  in  area  by  the  shop,  din¬ 
ing-hall,  engine  and  hospital  buildings,  is  artistically 
laid  out  in  grass-grown  plats  and  flower  beds  in 
season.  Around  the  area  of  space  on  brick-laid 
pavements  the  prisoners  are  permitted  to  walk  in  col¬ 
umns  of  two  according  to  grade  for  exercise  during 
the  afternoon  after  working  hours,  and  Sabbath  fore¬ 
noon  prior  to  and  after  chapel  services.  At  the  four 
corners  of  the  penitentiary  walls  are  stone  turrets 
where  armed  guards  are  placed  from  four  o’clock 
a.  m.  to  9  p.  m. 

Upon  West  Virginia  establishing  a  state  govern¬ 
ment,  Wheeling  was  selected  as  the  capital  where  the 
legislature  met  in  session  in  1863,  with  Hon.  Arthur 
I.  Boreman  as  chief  executive.  The  prison  was 
located  in  1866  at  Moundsville,  Marshall  Co.,  then  a 


76 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


beautiful  village  a  few  miles  from  the  seat  of  govern¬ 
ment.  The  location,  for  drainage  and  sanitary  con¬ 
ditions,  might  have  been  better  selected  from  one  of 
the  many  surroundings  hills  than  in  the  midst  of 
the  village  in  the  valley  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  river. 

Moundsville  has  since  the  location  of  the  peniten¬ 
tiary  there,  grown  into  the  eighth  city  in  population 
of  the  state,  and  is  now  a  manufacturing  and  resident 
town  possessing  daily  and  weekly  newspapers.  Modern 
improvements  prevail,  with  water  and  electric  light 
systems  and  street-car  lines  connecting  with  Wheeling 
and  adjoining  suburbs.  The  magnificent  mound 
erected  by  the  Mound  Builders  many  years  gone  by 
for  the  burial  of  their  dead,  to  be  seen  near  the  pen¬ 
itentiary,  is  one  of  the  attractions  to  the  thousands 
of  persons  who  visit  the  locality. 

Hon.  G.  S.  McFadden,  of  Moundsville,  was  the  first 
active  and  practical  warden  of  the  penitentiary.  With 
the  means  at  hand  he  made  many  praiseworthy  im¬ 
provements' for  the  amelioration  of  the  inmates  during 
his  incumbency.  The  condition  of  the  prisoners  dur¬ 
ing  the  four  years  past  and  now,  is  a  vast  improvement 
over  the  old  system.  Skilled  and  humane  prison 
managers  for  many  years  were  wanting.  The  condi¬ 
tion  of  the  inmates  was  at  times  deplorable  in  the 
extreme.  The  methods  of  punishment  in  vogue  were 
extremely  severe,  the  work  laborious,  the  clothing 
of  the  zebra  kind,  the  lock-step  exacting,  the  supply 
and  kind  of  food  indifferent  and  bad.  The  emnlov- 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY . 


77 


ment  of  the  prisoners  on  the  state  account  or  under 
contract  was  unprofitable,  and  expenses  for  the  pris¬ 
on’s  maintenance  piling  upon  the  taxpayers,  who 
made  just  complaint.  Loud  demands  were  made  by 
the  people  of  Moundsville  and  throughout  the  state, 
conversant  with  the  deplorable  condition  of  the  affairs 
of  their  penal  institution,  for  a  change. 

After  Governor  Atkinson’s  inauguration,  March  4, 
1897,  he  appointed  Colonel  S.  A.  Hawk  as  warden  of 
the  penitentiary.  He  was  at  the  time  of  his  appoint¬ 
ment  a  well-known  business  man  of  Huntington, 
Cabell  Co.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  also  known 
as  a  popular  employee  of  an  Ohio  river  steamboat  run¬ 
ning  out  of  Huntington.  He  was  at  one  time  a  suc¬ 
cessful  merchant,  hotel-keeper,  contractor,  and  dur¬ 
ing  President  Harrison’s  administration  as  President 
he  was  an  official  of  the  Interior  Department  in 
charge  of  the  public  domain  in  Arizona  Territory. 

Prior  to  the  incumbency  of  Warden  Hawk  the 
West  Virginia  penitentiary  had  for  years  been  run¬ 
ning  behind  the  legislative  appropriation  many  thou¬ 
sand  dollars  annually,  and  not  much,  if  any,  success 
was  made  in  the  reformation  of  the  prisoners. 
Altogether  the  prison  was  in  bad  order  when  he  took 
*  hold  as  warden,  he  not  only  introduced  reformatory 
treatment  with  respect  to  the  prisoners,  but  he  has 
made  the  institution  bring  to  the  state  an  actual  profit 
over  and  above  all  expenses  for  maintenance.  Warden 
[lawk  took  hold  of  the  penitentiary  management  Mav 


78 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


1,  1897.  He  discovered  tliat  his  predecessor’s  method 
of  punishment  was  principally  solitary  confinement. 

0 

Twenty-seven  or  more  prisoners  were  undergoing  the 
punishment  on  bread  and  water,  and  they  presented  a 
pitiable  condition.  Their  labor  was  lost  to  the  state ; 
their  mental,  moral,  and  physical  health  undermined; 
hope  seemingly  was  blasted,  and  they  were  strangers 
to  God.  The  warden  turned  the  key  and  liberated 
these  men  and  put  them  to  work,  which  they  gladly 
expressed  a  willingness  to  do. 

He  adopted  the  new  and  advanced  method  of  prison 
management  in  line  with  up-to-date  penalogists;  viz., 
The  grade  system,  plain  clothing  in  lieu  of  stripes, 
more  and  better  food,  first-class  medical  attendance, 
every  prisoner  at  work,  more  personal  liberty  and 
exercise  granted;  he  made  himself  approachable  to 
those  prisoners  having  a  grievance,  and  in  so  far  as 
he  could  within  the  bounds  of  true  discipline,  rectified 
them.  Keligious  worship  was  fostered  and  encouraged; 
punishment  for  willful  infractions  of  the  rules  and 
regulations  governing  the  prison,  sure  and  certain,  by 
black-listing  from  special  privileges,  for  a  period  of 
thirty  days  o*  more ;  the  lock-step,  by  carrying  on  the 
yard  an  iron  weight  during  working  hours,  and  in 
extreme  cases  of  fighting  and  other  reprehensible 
misconduct,  corporal  punishment  with  a  leather  strap 
was  inflicted,  or  by  buck-and-gag.  Other  changes  of 
a  minor  but  not  less  ameliorative  nature  were  made 
conducive  to  the  moral  welfare  of  the  inmates. 


MISTOEY  OF  TV.  VA.  PEMi'ENTIARY.  » 

To  bring  about  these  humane  changes  many  and 
substantial  improvements  were  made  in  the  way  of 
buildings  and  additions  without  cost  to  the  taxpay¬ 
ers,  for  the  prison  was  more  than  self-sustaining,  and 
a  handsome  sum  of  money  was  on  hand  for  this  pur¬ 
pose. 

PRISON  LIBRARY. 

January  1,  1900,  Warden  S.  A.  Hawk  completed 
the  erection  of  a  two-story  brick  addition  to  the  pris¬ 
on  dining-hall.  The  second  story  room,  40x40  feet, 
was  dedicated  by  him  to  the  use  of  a  library  and 
school.  The  fixtures  were  placed  in  the  room  but 
there  were  only  a  few  mutilated  books  at  hand  to  begin 
with.  E.  E.  Byrum,  President  of  the  Gospel  Trump¬ 
et  Publishing  Company  of  Moundsville,  hearing  of  the 
situation,  offered  his  gratuitous  service  to  the  warden 
to  aid  him  to  build  up  the  library  to  a  respectable  pro¬ 
portion.  Upon  the  assurance  given  him  that  there 
was  no  available  appropriation  to  purchase  books  for 
the  library,  Mr.  Byrum  called  the  attention  of  the 
members  of  his  company  to  this  state  of  affairs,  and 
upon  their  advice  and  with  their  consent,  a  splendid 
lot  of  artistically  bound  religious  and  other  suitable 
books  valued  at  $1,000  was  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  the  warden  for  the  use  of  the  prison  inmates.  So 
grateful  were  the  prisoners,  the  warden,  and  prison 
employees  at  the  generous  gift  that  it  was 

Resolved ,  That  the  prisoners  of  the  West  Virgini# 


0 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


penitentiary,  through  Warden  S.  A.  Hawk,  tendev 
their  grateful  thanks  to  E.  E.  Byrum  and  to  the 
Gospel  Trumpet  Publishing  Company,  Moundsville, 
W.  Va.,  for  the  very  welcome  gift  of  books  placed  in 
the  prison  library  for  their  use. 

This  fine  gift  of  standard  literature,  including  500 
song-books,  was  a  nucleus  for  the  building  up  of  an 
excellent  library,  few  equaling  it  in  the  state. 

Thousands  of  circular  letters  were  mailed  by  the 
warden  to  the  leading  citizens  of  West  Virginia  and 
leading  publishing  houses  of  the  country  asking  for 
donations  of  literature.  The  responses  wrere  generous 
— donors  sending  from  one  book  to  cases  containing 
hundreds  of  books.  One  year  after  the  opening  of 
the  library  twelve  thousand  standard  religious  and 
secular  books  and  magazines  were  donated.  It  is  true 
many  of  them  were  second-hand  and  worn,  except 
those  received  from  the  publishing  firms — such  as  the 
people  of  the  state  could  afford  to  give. 

The  library  represents  to  every  inmate 'the  warden’s 
desire  that  every  one  of  them  should  feel  that  an  op¬ 
portunity  for  newness  of  life  to  them  is  open,  and  in 
such  opportunity  may  be  found  an  ample  encourage¬ 
ment  of  good  purposes  and  well-meant  efforts.  Better 
life,  better  men,  hence  a  hope  for  the  prevalence  of 
improvement. 

A  night  school  from  5.80  to  7.30  p.  m.,  for  two 
hundred  and  more  illiterate  white  and  colored  in¬ 
mates,  ranging  from  seventeen  to  seventy-two  years  o* 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY. 


81 


age,  was  begun  in  the  library  at  its  opening,  without 
intermission  during  every  week-day  of  the  year.  The 
good  result  has  been  more  satisfactory  in  the  teaching 
of  spelling,  reading,  arithmetic,  geography,  and  writ¬ 
ing  than  the  most  sanguine  could  have  anticipated. 
Every  one  of  the  illiterate  prisoners  at  the  end  of  the 
year  can  read.  The  attendance  of  the  pupils,  thirty- 
two  white  and  forty  colored,  being  voluntary  on  their 
part,  alternate  nights.  The  prisoners  are  visited  at 
their  cells  every  Saturday  evening  by  assistant  libra¬ 
rians  (who  are  employed  in  shops  during  the  day),  with 
slips  in  hand,  and  their  order  taken  for  whatever  book 
or  magazine  they  may  ask  for.  The  magazines  are 
securely  bound,  three  in  one  volume,  minus  the  ad¬ 
vertisements.  The  number  of  the  cell  is  taken  down 
with  the  prisoner’s  serial  number.  The  literature  is 
carefully -selected  by  the  librarian  and  made  ready  for 
his  assistants  to  place  in  the  inmates’  cells,  and  each 
book  is  charged  to  the  prisoner  by  his  serial  number, 
to  be  kept  for  one  week.  If,  however,  the  book  is 
one  that  can  not  be  read  during  the  regular  period  of 
time,  upon  application,  a  further  period  of  a  week  is 
allowed.  The  books  issued  the  previous  week  are  col¬ 
lected  and  returned  to  the  library,  there  to  be  care¬ 
fully  examined,  for  intentional  mutilation  the  culprit 
being  black-listed  and  deprived  of  the  use  of  books,  at 
the  pleasure  of  the  warden.  At  the  first  and  several 
issues  thereafter  illiterate  and  mischievous  prisoners 
marked  their  books,  but  by  judicious  use  of  the  black- 


82 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS, 


list  and  reprimand  the  practice  on  the  part  of  these 
culprits  ceased,  and  they  cheerfully  refrained  from 
committing  themselves  again,  and  they  are  now  most 
careful  of  their  literary  treasures.  For  a  period  of 
seven  months  of  the  year  no  reports  for  mutilation  of 
books  have  been  made. 

The  following  are  most  in  demand:  Mothers’  Coun¬ 
sel  to  Their  Sons,  Pilgrim’s  Progress,  Fox’s  Book  of 
Martyrs,  The  Kingdom  of  God,  Divine  Healing  of 
Soul  and  Body,  Grace  of  Healing,  Boy’s  Companion, 
and  Letters  for  Our  Girls — the  last  being  in  demand 
by  the  female  inmates,  there  being  twenty-seven  white 
and  colored  of  them.  Many  books  on  tobacco  and  its 
effects  were  also  issued  to  the  inmates  above  named. 
The  books  are  a  part  of  the  Gospel  Trumpet  Pub¬ 
lishing  Company’s  donation.  From  close  observation 
of  the  readers  of  all  this  admirable  literature  the  good 
results  are  carefully  and  conscientiously  given  as  fol¬ 
lows:  Mothers’  Counsel  to  Their  Sons  is  in  con¬ 
stant  and  steady  demand  from  young  men  to  the 
“manor-born”  of  West  Virginia.  They  are  a  unique, 
original,  and  reverent  body  of  criminals.  Far  too 
many  are  illiterate,  possessed  of  high,  lofty,  and  im¬ 
pulsive  dispositions,  their  very  souls  throbbing  with 
vitality,  their  eyes  beaming  with  inspiration,  doubtless 
inspired  with  the  magnificent  scenery  of  their  native 
and  well-beloved  state.  Their  hearts  and  minds  seem 
to  expand  with  the  thought  ever  present  with  them, 
“Mountaineers  will  ever  be  free.”  While  restraint  is 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY . 


83 


irksome  to  them,  they  are,  however,  sensitively 
susceptible  to  kind  treatment.  They  love  their 
mountain  homes  and  hearth-stones  and  cherish  with 
fond  remembrance  the  parents  at  home,  and  they  are 
keen  to  read  literature  that  brings  these  close  to 
their  prison  home. 

Pilgrim’s  Progress  is  called  for  by  older  inmates 
from  other  states,  white  and  colored  alike,  and  also 
those  from  foreign  lands,  some  of  whom  have  enjoyed 
the  benefit  of  early  home  religious  training  or  have 
been  pickel  up  during  their  wanderings  around  the 
world  and  about  the  country.  They  seem  to  get  much 
good  from  their  reading  of  John  Bunyan,  his  tempta¬ 
tions,  trials,  and  triumphs.  All  of  these  men  con¬ 
tinue  in  their  demand  for  Gospel  Trumpet  literature 
until  they  have  read  all  of  the  different  volumes  of  the 
donation.  A  marked  and  decided  improvement  is 
noted  in  the  good  discipline  and  the  attendance  at 
religious  services  of  all  of  the  readers  of  good  liter¬ 
ature  and  the  warden  and  guards  are  pleased  with 
their  exemplary  behavior.  The  warden  has  found  it 
convenient  to  stop  altogether  the  issue  of  tobacco  to 
the  inmates,  doubtless  accounted  for  by  readers  of 
“Tobacco  and  Its  Effects,”  who  are  now  non-users  of 
the  weed.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  contractors  do 
not  issue  to  their  employees  as  much  tobacco  as  here¬ 
tofore.  May  the  use  of  it  grow  less  until  in  as  well 
as  out  of  prison  its  use  may  be  entirely  eliminated. 


84 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


RULES  TO  BE  OBSERVED  BY  PRISONERS  WHEN 

USING  THE  LIBRARY. 

Rule  1st.  Upon  entering  the  library  prisoners 
must  promptly  remove  their  caps  and  go  to  their 
scats  in  a  quiet  manner. 

Rule  2d.  Chewing  tobacco,  smoking,  or  spitting 
on  the  floor  is  strictly  forbidden. 

Rule  3d.  Books,  papers,  or  stationery  required  by 
any  prisoner  can  be  had  by  raising  the  hand  and  ask¬ 
ing  the  librarian  or  teacher. 

Rule  4th.  Undivided  attention  must  be  given  to 
the  teacher;  kis  instructions  promptly  and  respect¬ 
fully  obeyed,  and  the  whole  time  of  the  prisoner  who 
is  learning  must  be  devoted  to  study. 

Rule  5th.  Books,  magazines,  and  papers  will  b: 
issued  for  not  longer  than  one  week.  Care  must  be 
exercised  not  to  mark,  tear,  or  mutilate  them  in  any 
way. 

Rule  6th.  Should  a  violation  of  any  of  these  rules 
result  in  a  prisoner  being  reported  for  punishment,  he 
will  be  black-listed,  and  denied  the  privilege  of  school 
or  library. 

Rule  7th.  The  privilege  of  the  library  will  be  given 
to  prisoners  of  exemplary  record,  where  they  will  have 
free  access  to  books,  magazines,  and  papers,  after 
working  hours.  S.  A.  Hawk,  Warden. 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY.  85 

LITERATURE  FOR  CONVICTS. 

The  Greenbrier  (W.  Ya.)  Independent  says:  “A 
short  time  ago  Judge  McWhorter  of  our  town  shipped 
to  S.  A.  Hawk,  warden  of  the  state  prison  at  Mounds- 
ville,  a  lot  of  books,  magazines,  etc.,  donated  by  him¬ 
self  and  others.  We  are  permitted  to  publish  Mr. 
Hawk’s  letter  to  the  judge  in  acknowledgement  of 
the  donation: 

“  ‘Your  fine  donation  of  literature  came  to  hand  to¬ 
day  (March  10),  for  which  please  accept  my  sincere 
gratitude.  I  am  gratified  to  inform  you  that  from 
donations  received  from  the  generous  people  of  West 
Virginia  and  some  few  publishers,  I  have  about  10,000 
volumes  of  books  and  magazines — the  latter  securely 
bound  and  covered.  The  library  is  indebted  to  the 
Wheeling  Intelligencer  and  Hews  for  very  many  daily 
exchanges.  The  library  room  is  40x40  feet,  hand¬ 
somely  furnished  and  fully  equipped. 

“  ‘I  have  an  evening  school  of  sixty  pupils — thirty 
colored  and  thirty  white,  boys  and  men — the  hours 
being  from  5  to  7.30  p.  m.  Their  progress  is  very 
satisfactory.  Taking  into  consideration  that  I  sent 
out  my  appeal  for  literature  January  20,  1900,  I  think 
that  I  have  met  with  unprecedented  success,  for  which 
I  am  certainly  grateful. 

“  ‘I  feel  conscious  that  the  new  and  more  liberal 
system  of  discipline  inaugurated  by  me  since  my  man¬ 
agement  of  the  prison,  and  the  many  improvements 


86 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


made,  is  a  duty  I  owe  my  charges  and  for  the  future 
protection  of  society,  because  these  men  feel  that  the 
hand  of  every  man  is  not  raised  against  them  and  that 
upon  their  release  they  will  be  encouraged  to  make  of 
themselves  useful  citizens. 

“  ‘Assuring  you  that  I  completely  appreciate  your 
kindness,  I  am  sincerely  yours,  S.  A.  Hawk.’  ” 

THE  BIBLE  CLASS 

Had  been  in  an  intermittent  state  of  organization 
from  1890,  with  but  moderate  success.  Some  two 
years  ago  (1899)  the  Gospel  Trumpet  people  took  an 
active  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  Bible  class,  which 
meant  that  henceforth  renewed  and  intelligent  effort 
was  to  be  made  for  the  future.  The  class  under  the 
new  order  of  arrangement  and  new  infusion  of  God’s 
Spirit  greatly  increased  in  membership  in  a  short  pe¬ 
riod  of  time.  To  this  class  of  earnest  Christians  the 
Gospel  Trumpet  people  and  denominational  ministers 
of  Moundsville  give  their  attention  and  best  effort  in 
their  respective  turn,  every  Sabbath  morning  from  8 
to  9  o’clock.  The  commendable  progress  the  members 
of  the  class  have  made  in  their  work  is  to  a  large 
extent  due  to  these  ministers  of  God.  Very  many 
remarkable  conversions  have  been  brought  about,  and 
baptism  given  by  the  ordained  ministers  from  the 
Gospel  Trumpet  office. 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY. 


87 


NOTABLE  REFORMATIONS. 

Serial  No.  2282 — A  veteran  inmate  from  Randolph. 
Co.,  aged  56  years,  received  at  the  prison  in  1892  to 
serve  his  natural  life  for  the  crime  of  murder,  this 
being  his  second  term  for  the  same  kind  of  crime. 
About  twelve  years  ago  he  was  pardoned  by  the  gov¬ 
ernor  upon  well  established  grounds  of  mitigating 
circumstances  connected  with  the  alleged  crime. 

For  the  second  term  he  has  been  an  inmate  for 
nine  years.  He  is  a  large  man,  six  feet  in  height, 
with  a  good  looking  face  and  possessed  of  a  warm  and 
tender  heart.  His  prison  record  is  exemplary,  and  he 
is  employed  in  the  tailor  shop,  filling  a  responsible 
position.  Four  times  has  the  Bible  class  selected  him 
as  their  class-leader,  recognizing  his  Biblical  learning, 
industry,  and  signal  ability  at  prayer  and  exhortation. 
He  says  that  during  the  years  prior  to  the  aid  given  to 
the  class  at  the  hands  of  the  Gospel  Trumpet  people, 
he  was  somewhat  lukewarm  in  his  class  work.  How¬ 
ever,  with  their  hearty  assistance  and  material  aid  he 
took  on  a  new  spirit  and  inspiration  for  more  and  bet¬ 
ter  work  for  God.  He  is  much  encouraged  by  the 
many  conversions  made  and  by  the  growth  of  the  class. 
He  canvassed  for  subscribers  for  very  many  Gospel 
Trumpet  literary  works;  of  these  and  the  Gospel 
Trumpet  paper,  he  is  a  constant  reader. 

Serial  No.  2320 — Received  from  Cabell  Co. in  1892 
to  serve  a  life  sentence  for  murder,  is  a  young  man  of 


88 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


fine  education,  culture,  high  resolve  and  noble  pur¬ 
pose,  a  scion  of  Christian  family  residents  of  Ohio. 
The  crime  into  which  the  unfortunate  man  was  prob¬ 
ably  led  appears  to  have  been  a  concocted  scheme 
made  up  and  he  enticed  to  join  in,  for  the  purpose  of 
putting  him  out  of  the  way  in  order  to  accomplish 
certain  designs  his  enemies  had  against  his  life  and 
property  to  be  inherited  by  him.  To  make  sure  of 
their  work  the  railroad  officials  and  detectives  were  put 
on  the  job,  so,  when  he  and  his  companions  made 
the  attempt  to  stop  and  rob  the  railroad  passenger 
train,  they  were  fired  upon  by  a  posse  of  armed 
guards,  which  they  returned,  killing  one  of  the 
passengers.  He  was  seriously  wounded,  losing  the  use 
of  his  right  arm. 

He  was  converted  several  years  ago  and  baptized. 
His  health  has  long  since  been  undermined  by  con¬ 
finement  and  he  is  in  a  precario~us  condition,  but  above 
all  things  else  he  is  a  true  Christian  and  child  of  God 
and  entirely  fit  to  be  pardoned  and  restored  to  society, 
home,  and  friends.  He  has  served  one  year  as  leader 
of  the  Bible  class,  and  owing  to  his  lovable  disposi¬ 
tion,  learning,  and  industry  he  gave  entire  satisfaction 
to  his  classmates. 

Serial  No.  25^7 — Received  from  Fayette  County  in 
1894,  for  murder,  to  serve  his  natural  life  in  prison, 
age  at  the  time  20  years,  is  a  notable  example  of  com¬ 
plete  reformation  within  the  prison-walls.  He  is  a 
native  of  Virginia,  raised  to  do  hard  work  in  the  coal 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY. 


89 


mines,  where  he  was  without  much,  if  any,  advantage 
to  enable  him  to  obtain  an  education.  Possessed  of 
natural  abilities  and  doubtless  awed  by  the  shadow  of 
the  gallows  from  which  a  loving  sister  saved  him,  and 
the  prison  environments,  he  purposed  to  obey  the 
prison  rules  by  industry  at  his  employment  and  civility 
toward  the  prison  officials  and  his  comrades.  It  seems 
also  that  early  upon  his  entrance  into  the  penitentiary 
he  resolved  to  be  a  godly  man.  He  taught  himself 
how  to  read  his  Bible  while  in  his  cell  at  night.  At¬ 
tending  the  Bible  class  he  learned  how  to  pray.  He 
gave  his  heart  to  God  one  Sabbath  day  while  listening 
to  a  sermon.  His  classmates  selected  him  as  their 
leader  and  he  served  so  satisfactorily  that  during  the 
end  of  Governor  Atkinson’s  administration  he  was 
pardoned  by  and  through  the  untiring  effort  and 
devotion  of  the  sister  who  had  saved  him  years  before 
from  the  gallows.  One  and  all  rejoiced  and  prayed 
God  that  the  Governor,  at  the  end  of  life’s  journey 
may  be  rewarded  for  the  mercy  he  granted  even  unto 
the  poorest  and  lowliest  prisoner  in  the  penitentiary. 

Serial  No.  250Jf — Received  from  Berkley  County  in 
1894,  for  grand  larceny,  to  serve  a  term  of  twelve 
years,  upon  entrance  to  the  prison  started  in  to  make 
it  unpleasant  for  the  prison  officials  by  stubbornly 
refusing  to  work  and  by  violent  acts  of  misconduct. 
It  was  found  necessary  to  punish  him  severely  several 
times.  He  was  one  of  the  prisoners  in  solitary  con¬ 
finement  when  Warden  Hawk  took  hold  of  the  prison. 


90 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


He  was  released  with  others,  and  at  once  taken  in 
hand  by  the  warden  for  individual  treatment.  A  good 
position  was  given  him  in  the  laundry  and  other  priv¬ 
ileges  granted  to  him  as  well  as  good  counsel  given  and 
amiably  received.  It  was  soon  observed  by  the  prison 
officials  that  he  was  a  constant  attendant  at  the  chapel 
Sabbath  services,  then  at  a  pathetic  and  prayerful  in¬ 
vitation  went  forward  one  Sabbath  day  and  gave  him¬ 
self  to  the  service  of  God  and  was  baptized.  He  was 
in  charge  of  the  Bible  class  for  a  while.  He  was  re¬ 
cently  released  by  habeas  corpus  proceedihgs  on  the 
ground  that  having  been  committed  to  the  peniten¬ 
tiary  on  two  sentences,  one  for  four  years  and  the 
other  for  eight  years,  from  different  counties,  the 
greater  sentence  embraced  also  the  lesser  one,  in  that 
the  date  of  sentence  in  each  case  commenced  from  the 
day  of  sentence. 

A  close  Biblical  student  and  possessed  of  consider¬ 
able  natural  ability,  power  of  prayer  and  exhortation, 
it  is  hoped  and  expected  that  he  will  continue  to  be  a 
worker  in  the  Lord’s  vineyard. 

Serial  No.  S595 — Received  from  Monongahela  Co. 
in  1898,  to  serve  a  term  of  four  years  for  grand 
larceny.  Upon  entering  the  prison  he  became  an 
active  worker  in  the  Bible  class.  He  is  an  exemplary 
prisoner  and  thought  well  of  by  the  warden  and  pris¬ 
on  officials.  It  is  expected  that,  upon  his  release,  his 
experience  in  prison  will  make  of  him  an  efficient 
Christian  worker.  Possessing  some  ability  and  ambi¬ 
tion  as  a  hymn- writer,  herewith  is  a  sample: 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY . 


91 


“A  BROTHER  OF  JESUS.” 

_ _  9 

A  brother  of  J esus,  a  comrade  to  fight, 

A  brother  to  conquer,  and  strive  for  the  right, 

A  brother  in  daring,  a  comrade  indeed, 

A  brother  to  venture,  whatever  the  need. 

A  brother  in  spirit,  when  dangers  surround, 

A  comrade  in  courage  who  stands  his  ground, 

A  brother  who’s  faithful,  loyal,  and  true, 

A  comrade  who  fights,  and  fights  his  way  through. 

A  brother  for  heaven,  who  stands  by  the  cross, 

A  comrade  obedient,  whatever  the  cost, 

A  brother  who’s  ready  and  willing  to  die, 

A  comrade  who  will  not  his  Savior  deny. 

A  brother  on  duty,  by  day  and  by  night, 

A  comrade  who’s  trusting  in  Jesus’  great  might, 

A  brother  so  Christlike,  0  Savior,  I’  11  bo 
A  comrade  in  purpose,  sacred  to  thee. 

DEGENERATES. 

Serial  No.  JfiS5 — Was  received  from  Pocahontas 
County  in  1898,  to  serve  two  years  for  horse  stealing. 
He  claimed  upon  his  entrance  to  the  prison  to  be  a 
‘‘preacher.”  It  is  alleged  by  persons  who  know  his  life 
and  character  that  he  is  an  old  and  experienced  horse- 
thief,  who  had  served  many  terms  of  imprisonment  in 
the  different  penitentiaries  of  the  country,  and  was 
looked  upon  from  a  criminological  point  of  view  as  a 
moral  degenerate  of  the  first  degree.  While  playing 
the  role  of  a  “mountain  evangelist”  in  the  county 
from  whence  he  was  committed  to  the  penitentiary, 
he  there  applied  his  first  and  only  calling,  as  a  horse 


92 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


thief  of  the  first  degree.  Upon  his  introduction  to  the 
prison  he  professed  to  be  very  religious,  and  stoutly 
maintained  that  he  was  an  innocent  man  much 
maligned  and  persecuted.  He  was  made  janitor  of  the 
chapel,  doubtless  owing  more  to  the  fact  that  he  was 
a  cripple,  having  only  the  use  of  his  left  hand,  and  a 
glib  talker  and  not  of  use  elsewhere. 

He  soon  ingratiated  himself  into  the  good  graces  of 
the  visiting  ministers,  who  looked  upon  him  more  in 
pity  than  aught  else,  and  they  extended  to  him  char¬ 
ity  which  covers  a  multitude  of  sins.  He  did  active 
and  good  work,  however.  Upon  his  release  from  pris¬ 
on  he  made  loud  professions  of  reformation  and  made 
pretense  of  going  to  serve  God  and  by  so  doing  be¬ 
come  a  good  citizen.  It  was,  however,  soon  after  his 
release  observed  by  persons  interested  in  his  welfare 
that  he  was  secretly  treading  the  path  of  wickedness. 
Soon  he  was  a  fugitive  from  justice  with  big  rewards 
offered  for  his  apprehension  and  conviction  for  the 
larceny  of  many  horses  from  the  farmers  of  the  state 
and  of  Pennsylvania.  Sheriffs  of  many  counties  were 
on  the  lookout  to  apprehend  him.  Recently  the 
sheriffs  ran  their  quarry  down  and  landed  him  in  the 
Mineral  County  jail  and  doubtless  he  will  soon  be  re¬ 
turned  to  his  old  familiar  quarters,  there  to  once  more 
ruminate  the  error  of  wrong-doing.  It  might  well 
be  said  of  him  with  Pope,  “Why  formed  so  weak, 
so  little,  and  so  blind.”  He  has  received  another 
sentence  of  ten  years  in  state  prison. 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA .  PENITENTIARY . 


93 


PATHETIC. 

Serial  No .  — Under  sentence  of  death  for  the 

murder  of  his  brother-in-law,  is  an  object  of  great 
pity.  This  man  for  the  love  of  his  sixteen-year-old 
boy  murdered  a  man,  for  which  deed  the  law  demands 
his  life.  He  and  the  man  murdered  were  both  wealthy 
farmers  at  Terra  Alta,  Preston  Co.,  West  Virginia. 
Last  November  (1900)  his  boy  was  arrested  by  the 
brother-in-law  for  breaking  into  the  cellar  of  his  house 
and  getting  drunk  on  his  cider.  He  had  him 
indicted,  tried,  convicted,  and  sentenced  to  the  pen¬ 
itentiary  for  the  term  of  one  year,  which  angered  his 
father,  who  took  a  shot-gun  and  shot  his  brother-in- 
law  dead  in  his  own  barn  in  the  presence  of  a  hired 
man.  The  father  escaped  and  lived  in  the  mountains  a 
month,  gave  himself  up,  pleaded  guilty,  and  was  sen¬ 
tence  to  be  hanged  Feb.  15,  1901. 

His  neighbors,  who  were  kindly  disposed  to  the 
erring  man,  at  once  put  in  circulation  a  petition  to 
the  Governor  praying  for  a  commutation  of  sentence 
to  life  imprisonment.  His  wife  signed  a  remonstrance 
against  granting  the  petition  of  her  husband’s  friends. 
However,  the  governor,  in  order  to  enable  the  con¬ 
demned  man’s  friends  to  present  the  petition  to  the 
advisory  board  of  pardons  for-  their  consideration, 
granted  him  a  respite  until  April  13.  Upon  his 
arrival  in  the  penitentiary  he  was  permitted  to  see  his 
wayward  boy,  and  the  scene  between  father  and  son 
was  truly  pathetic. 


94 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


HUMOROUS. 

Serial  No.  Slid — An  illiterate  white  boy  from  Cal¬ 
houn  County,  to  serve  two  years  for  grand  larceny  for 
stealing  a  heifer,  sensibly  availed  himself  of  the  priv¬ 
ilege  afforded  by  the  warden  to  attend  the  night 
school.  He  made  remarkable  progress  in  his  studies, 
so  that  he  could  read  and  write  a  legible  hand.  He 
was  so  elated  with  his  success  that  he  stated  before  his 
release  that  he  was  glad  he  was  sent  to  the  peniten¬ 
tiary  for  stealing  the  heifer  to  procure  money  to  take 
his  girl  to  the  county  fair,  for  now  he  had  a  fair 
education  and  could  get  on  better  in  the  world. 

MEK  EXECUTED  FOR  MURDER. 

The  West  Virginia  Legislature  passed  an  act  Feb¬ 
ruary,  1899,  viz.:  “The  sentence  of  death  shall  in 
every  case  be  executed  by  hanging  within  the  walls 
of  the  penitentiary  and  not  elsewhere.  The  officers  of 
the  court  imposing  sentence  may  be  present,  and 
twelve  [respectable  citizens,  a  physician  and  surgeon, 
and  such  representatives  of  the  press  as  the  warden 
may  desire;  and  the  condemned  may  by  request  have 
his  counsel,  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  such  relatives 
as  the  warden  may  deem  prudent.” 

Serial  No.37Jf5 — Colored,  of  middle  age,  who  had 
served  a  term  in  the  penitentiary  for  stealing,  was 
brought  to  the  prison  in  1899,  from  McDowell  County, 
to  suffer  the  penalty  of  death  Oct.  10,  1899,  for  the 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY . 


95 


unprovoked  murder  of  a  “scarlet”  negro  woman. 
Upon  his  entrance  into  the  prison  he  asked  for  and 
was  given  a  Bible,  which  he  constantly  read  during 
the  time  he  awaited  to  be  executed  by  mandate  of  the 
law.  Ministers  of  his  race  paid  him  frequent  visits, 
anxious  to  aid  him  in  spiritual  and  temporal  affairs. 
He  professed  sincere  religious  belief  and  that  upon 
confession  of  faith  he  would  be  saved,  yet  he  did  not 
seem  to  accept  with  good  grace  the  assistance  offered 
him  by  the  negroes. 

During  his  former  imprisonment  while  he  was  em¬ 
ployed  to  clean  and  scrub  the  guard-room  and  the 
main-building  hallways,  he  frequently  met  the  chap¬ 
lain;  so  he  made  request  to  the  warden  that  he  be 
sent  for  to  pay  him  a  visit.  The  chaplain  responded 
at  once  and  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  giving  reli¬ 
gious  consolation  and  words  of  good  cheer.  He,  how¬ 
ever,  constantly  maintained  that  he  was  innocent  of 
the  crime  charged ;  that  the  negro  with  him  at  the 
time  of  the  shooting  was  responsible  for  the  woman’s 
death,  by  means  of  a  shot-gun.  He  doubtless  was 
possessed  of  a  scheming  mind,  and  hoped  that  he 
might  by  some  means  escape  the  penalty  for  his 
crime.  Many  negro  prisoners  as  well  as  white  ones 
deeply  sympathized  with  him,  for  he  was  considered  a 
“good  fellow”  when  rdiey  knew  him  in  prison  as  one 
of  their  number. 

A  collection  amounting  to  $50.00  was  taken  up  from 
among  the  prisoners  to  pay  a  lawyer  to  procure  a  copy 


96 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


of  the  record  of  his  trial  to  enable  him  to  file  an  ap¬ 
peal  to  the  Supreme  Court  for  a  new  trial.  The  lawyer 
received  and  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  the  money, 
making  in  return  therefor  full  and  profuse  promises 
what  he  would  do  to  save  his  life.  He  took  and  spent 
it  for  liquor,  became  drunk  on  the  money,  and  did 
not  turn  a  hand  to  save  the  life  of  his  confiding  client. 
The  unfortunate  man,  hearing  of  the  reprehensible 
conduct  of  his  attorney,  and  the  time  near  at  hand  for 
his  execution,  grew  despondent  and  weak  mentally 
and  physically.  He  was  baptized,  professed  repentance, 
confessed  he  murdered  his  mistress,  and  the  night  of 
his  execution  between  the  hours  of  12  a.  m.  and  1  p. 
m.  it  was  found  necessary  to  administer  powerful 
stimulants  to  brace  him  up  for  the  trying  ordeal. 
With  zeal  and  courage  his  spiritual  advisor  prayed, 
counseled,  and  assisted  him  to  the  scaffold.  His 
neck  was  broken  by  the  fall  and  his  death  was  painless. 

Serial  No. 37  ^6 — A  splendid  specimen  of  the  young 
mulatto,  possessed  of  a  fair  education  for  one  with 
the  limited  opportunities  within  his  reach,  by  occupa¬ 
tion  a  coal  miner.  He  was  received  into  the  prison 
from  McDowell  County  under  sentence  of  death  for 
the  willful  murder  of  a  sixteen-year-old  negro  boy, 
while  he  was  in  an  intoxicated  condition;  also  to  be 
executed  Oct.  10,  1899.  He  asked  for  and  was  given 
a  Bible.  He  was  a  musician,  playing  the  guitar  with 
skill,  and  possessed  of  a  fine  tenor  voice  he  was  fond 
of  singing  hymns,  which  he  did  with  pathos,  rhyme, 
and  music,  to  the  delight  of  his  hearers. 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY. 


97 


He  stoutly  maintained  that  his  victim  was  not  in¬ 
tentionally  but  accidentally  shot  by  him ;  that  he  ac¬ 
cidentally  fired  his  pistol  into  the  dwelling  wherein 
the  boy  was  domiciled  out  of  his  sight.  Upon  learn¬ 
ing  that  the  boy  was  wounded,  perhaps  fatally,  he 
procured  a  doctor  to  whom  he  paid  $50.00,  all  the 
money  he  had  saved  from  his  earnings,  to  save  his 
life.  The  boy  proved  to  be  wounded  beyond  the  hope 
of  recovery  and  soon  died.  The  chaplain  also  min 
istered  to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  prisoner  and 
became  much  impressed  with  the  young  man’s  ap¬ 
parent  religious  sincerity  and  his  plausible  story  of 
innocence  of  murder.  So  much  was  he  interested  in 
him  that  he  made  personal  and  strenuous  efforts  to 
save  his  life.  The  Governor  was  appealed  to,  the 
Attorney  General  was  called  upon  for  assistance  to 
procure  a  copy  of  his  trial  record,  and  statements 
made  by  him  were  investigated,  and  the  whole  matter 
submitted  to  the  pardon  board  for  their  consideration. 
After  an  exhaustive  and  painstaking  consideration  of 
the  facts  submitted  to  them  the  pardon  board  con¬ 
cluded  that  he  lied  and  was  in  fact  guilty,  and  should 
suffer  the  penalty  for  his  crime.  The  Governor,  after 
the  conclusion  of  the  pardon  board  was  made  known 
to  him,  paid  the  prison  a  visit.  He  called  upon  the 
doomed  man  in  the  death-cell,  and  the  latter  made  to 
the  Governor  a  most  eloquent  and  pathetic  plea  to  save 
his  life.  With  tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks,  the 
Governor  kindly  said,  “Would  to  God  I  could  do  so, 


98 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS, 


my  boy,  but  the  facts  as  presented  to  me  are  unde¬ 
niable  as  to  your  absolute  guilt.” 

How  knowing  that  all  hope  for  escape  from  the 
gallows  was  gone  and  that  he  must  die,  he  read  his 
Bible,  sang  gospel  hymns,  and  played  his  guitar.  He 
confessed  that  he  was  in  fact  guilty  of  the  crime  and 
was  now  content  to  suffer  death,  as  he  believed  he  had 
made  his  peace  with  God.  He  was  baptized,  and  his 
demeanor  to  the  scaffold  from  his  cell  was  admirable 
and  brave.  He  firmly  ascended  the  stairway  leading 
to  the  death-trap,  stood  over  it  without  a  tremor  while 
his  hands  and  legs  were  strapped  and  the  rope  adjusted 
about  his  neck.  When  asked  by  the  warden  if  he  had 
anything  to  say,  he  replied  in  a  manly  and  firm  voice, 
“1  have  made  my  peace  with  God.  I  am  guilty.  The 
causes  of  my  downfall  were  whiskey  and  women. 
Jesus  will  take  me  and  I  am  ready  and  willing  to  die.” 

Serial  No.  8772 — Colored,  was  received  at  the  prison 
in  1900,  from  Fayette  County,  to  be  executed  for  the 
willful  murder  of  a  prominent  negro  saloon-keeper  who 
refused  to  furnish  him  more  liquor  when  he  was 
already  drunk.  He  asked  for  a  Bible,  and  when  it  was 
given  to  him  he  seemed  to  be  pleased,  and  constantly 
read  it.  His  attorney,  however,  was  skilled  in  crim¬ 
inal  law,  and  was  an  indefatigable  worker.  The 
prisoner,  an  intelligent  colored  man,  peaceable  and 
quiet  when  sober,  believed  that  he  would  not  have  to 
suffer  the  penalty  for  his  crime.  Strenuous  efforts 
were  made  by  his  attorney  to  save  his  life.  The  Gov- 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY. 


9$ 


ernor  and  the  board  of  pardon  were  respectively 
appealed  to,  but  the  guilt  of  the  man  was  so  conclu¬ 
sive,  and  the  murder  so  unprovoked,  that  at  all  points 
his  appeal  for  clemency  was  refused.  He  bravely  and 
uncomplainingly  paid  the  penalty  decreed  by  the  law 
and  professed  his  belief  in  the  saving  power  of  J esus. 

UNDER  SENTENCE  OF  DEATH. 

* 

Serial  No.  89 H — Committed  from  Wirt  County,  un¬ 
der  sentence  of  death  for  the  brutal  murder  (by  means 
of  an  ax)  of  his  wife  and  step-son,  a  child  in  years, 
the  motive  being  to  obtain  money  to  be  inherited  by 
them,  is  a  constant  reader  of  the  Bible,  and  at  all 
times  is  ready  to  argue  passages  of  the  Scriptures  with 
any  one  who  will  do  so  with  him.  His  attorneys 
secured  for  him  a  stay  of  execution  pending  an  appeal 
to  the  Supreme  Court. 

Serial  No.  8972 — Colored,  was  committed  from 
Kanawha  Co.  in  1901,  for  the  brutal  and  unprovoked 
murder  of  a  negro  on  account  of  some  money  won  by 
gambling.  He  is  a  large,  middle-aged,  gross-looking 
negro,  who  has  served  a  term  in  the  penitentiary  for 
stealing.  From  his  life  record  he  appears  to  have 
been  a  vagabond,  gambling,  preying  on  the  people  of 
his  race  for  a  living.  He  is  possessed  of  some  educa¬ 
tion,  a  glib  tongue,  and  appears  to  have  made  some 
friends  among  white  people,  whom  he  says  are  his  only 
friends  and  are  the  only  persons  who  will  give  him 


100 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


any  assistance  in  his  effort  to  escape  the  gallows.  He 
was  to  he  executed  March  22,  1901,  hut  his  attorney 
procured  a  stay  of  execution  until  April  25,  pending 
an  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court.  He  is  a  constant 
reader  of  the  Bible. 

AN  INNOCENT  MAN. 

Serial  No .  3789 — Committed  to  the  prison  in  1899 
for  twelve  years,  from  Jefferson  County,  for  the  alleged 
crime,  in  company  with  other  persons,  of  entering  the 
Potomac  river  bridge  toll-house  at  Shepherdstown  and 
robbing  Eichard  Morgan  and  wife,  whom  they  bound 
and  gagged,  is  an  unfortunate  victim  of  untoward 
circumstances.  Evidence  has  come  to  light,  proved 
by  affidavit,  that  he  is  innocent. 

THE  PRISON  CHOIR. 

The  prison  choir  is  made  up  of  a  number  ol  good 
singers,  white  and  colored,  the  latter  predominating. 
They  are  under  the  skill  and  direction  of  Mr.  Chas.  E. 
Woodburn,  a  well-known  business  man  of  Mounds- 
ville,  who  has  devoted  a  number  of  years  of  his  valuable 
time  to  these  boys  as  well  as  to  the  chapel  services, 
and  aided  the  warden  in  providing  amusement  on 
holidays  for  the  inmates. 


HISTORY  OF  W,  VA,  PENITENTIARY . 


101 


APPEAL  FOR  A  PAROLE  LAW. 

I 

'  N 

West  Virginia  Penitentiary, 
Moundsville,  Jan.  1,  1901. 

Dear  Sir:  Gratified  that  the  generous  people  of 
West  Virginia  have  in  response  to  my  letters  of  appeal 
to  them  dated  Jan.  20,  1899,  for  donations  of  literature 
enabled  me  to  build  up  a  library  for  my  convict 
charges  to  12,000  volumes  of  books  and  magazines,  I 
desire  to  further  trespass  on  their  generosity  by  ask¬ 
ing  for  your  support  to  bring  about  another  measure 
of  reform,  viz.,  a  parole  law. 

The  parole  law  is  in  force  in  a  nu  mber  of  up-to-date 
state  penitentiaries  with  remarkab  e  success,  bringing 
protection  and  good  results  to  society.  It  saves  trouble 
to  prosecuting  attorneys  and  criminal  judges,  and 
enables  convicts  to  gain  their  liberty  solely  through 
their  individual  efforts.  For  instance,  by  virtue  of  the 
criminal  statutes  a  convict  may  be  sentenced  for  the 
minimum  of  one  year  or  the  maximum  of  five  years. 
The  criminal  judge  upon  conviction  of  the  prisoner  on 
trial  imposes  an  indefinite  sentence.  The  convict  after 
the  expiration  of  one  year  may  become  eligible  to 
parole  if  his  record  is  exemplary.  Two  reliable 
citizens  are  required  to  become  surety  for  the  convict’s 
employment  and  future  good  conduct,  then  he  is 
paroled. 

Upon  violation  of  any  of  the  parole  conditions,  he 
is  returned  to  prison  to  serve  the  maximum  sentence. 


102 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


If  the  convict  is  a  man  of  family,  he  is  enabled  to  pro¬ 
vide  for  them;  and  if  he  is  a  single  man,  he  has  a 
chance  to  become  a  respected  member  of  society  and 
no  longer  a  menace  thereto.  Respectfully  yours, 

S.  A.  Hawk. 


THE  WRITER’S  LIFE. 

That  the  reader  may  know  and  perhaps  become  inter¬ 
ested  in  the  writer  of  this  sketch  of  the  West  Virginia 
prison,  he  herewith  respectfully  and  modestly  submits 
to  them  a  sketch  of  his  life  .  I  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  in  1844.  My  parents,  possessed  of  more  than  the 
ordinary  education  the  poor  people  of  Ireland  were 
enabled  to  receive,  journeyed  across  the  American 
desert  to  Ualifornia,  having  their  troubles  with  the 
Indians  and  their  Mormon  aliieo.  My  father  hoped  to 
strike  a  gold  mine  and  become  rich,  and  in  the  new 
Eldorado  build  a  home  and  surround  his  wife  and 
children — a  girl  and  boy — witjj.  all  the  good  things  of 
earth  that  money  could  buy  Soon  after  our  arrival 
at  San  Francisco,  the  cholera  made  its  appearance,  the 
plague  having  been  brought  to  the  golden  shores  of 
California  by  emigrants  traveling  from  the  east  by  way 
of  Central  America.  My  father  was  stricken  with  it 
and  died.  In  the  Lone  Mountain  cemetery,  of  the 
metropolis  of  the  Pacific  coast,  he  has  lain  buried  for 
years.  The  remainder  of  the  family  escaped  the  dread 
fifty-one  disease.  Mother  was  left  to  struggle  alone  in 


HISTORY  OF  W.  VA.  PENITENTIARY. 


103 


a  strange  land  and  among  strangers  to  provide  for  her 
children.  Not  afraid  of  work,  she  did  her  duty  to  her  ' 
children  nobly,  faithfully,  and  well.  She  now  lies 
buried  beside  my  father  in  Lone  Mountain  cemetery, 
twenty  years  gone  by. 

The  war-bugle  of  the  Rebellion  rang  in  my  ears  and 
woke  me  to  the  realization  that  I  had  a  country  to 
protect  and  to  save.  I  enlisted  in  a  California  reg¬ 
iment  of  cavalry  and  served  three  years  with  some 
merit.  Upon  my  discharge  from  the  army  1  entered 
an  Illinois  college  to  perfect  my  neglected  education, 
and  after  graduation  I  located  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.  I 
began  at  newspaper  work,  and  have  continued  in  that 
line  of  work  to  the  present  time,  with  occasional 
lapses  from  it  to  engage  in  other  and  more  lucrative 
employment.  A  soldier  of  the  civil  war,  having  been 
wounded,  injured,  and  having  contracted  disease  in 
the  line' of  duty,  I  was  prompted  upon  McKinley’s 
election  as  President  to  apply  for  a  pension.  I  went 
to  Washington,  D.  C.,  to  press  my  claim  in  person 
with  the  Commissioner  of  Pensions.  He  turned  me 
down  after  I  had  some  words  with  him  relative  to  his 
delay  in  granting  to  me  that  which  was  mine  by  legal 
right  and  title,  expressed  by  the  American  people 
through  their  representative  in  Congress  assembled, 
and  in  fulfillment  of  promises  made  to  the  men  who 
saved  the  nation.  Somewhat  addicted  to  the  drink 
habit,  I  became  drunk  at  my  disappointment  and  the 
next  day  I  found  to  my  surprise  that  I  was  in  the 


104 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


police  station  charged  with  breaking  into  and  enter¬ 
ing  a  small  grocery  in  Washington  City,  two  miles 
from  my  place  of  dwelling.  The  alleged  damage 
inflicted  was  small,  but  Justice  Clabaugh,  who  had 
recently  been  appointed  from  Maryland,  said  to  me 
that  fiyo  years  was  little  enough  for  the  alleged  crime. 

Serial  No.  378. 


-  's, 


* 


LETTERS  FROM  PRISON  OFFICIALS. 


PRISON  LIBRARY  DESTROYED  BY  FIRE. 

_  Nebraska  State  Penitentiary. 

Lancaster,  Neb.,  March  7,  1901. 

Dear  Sirs:  Your  consignment  of  eight  books  at 
hand,  which  is  very  much  appreciated.  We  are  doubly 
unfortunate  at  the  present  time,  as  we  have  just  lost 
our  entire  library  by  fire.  We  realize  too  with  you  that 
imprisonment  is  the  turning-point  for  the  better  in 
some  men’s  lives,  as  we  see  it  exemplified  here.  At 
some  future  time  we  will  send  you  for  publication  the 
views  of  some  of  the  above  men  who  believe  they 
have  been  benefited  by  their  prison  experience. 

Thanking  you  again  for  the  books  sent,  and  in  ad¬ 
vance  for  any  books  you  may  see  fit  to  send  us,  we 
remain,  Yours  respectfully, 

- ,  Librarian. 

Clinton  Prison. 

Dannemora,  N.  Y,,  March  8,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Publishing  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

Gentlemen:  The  books  and  tracts  so  kindly  for¬ 
warded  by  you  for  the  use  of  the  prisoners  in  this  pris¬ 
on  have  been  received,  and  the  note  enclosed  to  the 
warden  handed  me  for  reply.  Having  charge  of  all 

107 


108 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


literary  material  that  comes  into  the  prison,  I  take 
great  pleasure  in  acknowledging  receipt  of  same; 
and  would  extend  to  you  my  personal  thanks,  as  also 
the  gratitude  of  those  whom  this  material  was  de¬ 
signed  to  benefit. 

I  am  glad  that  the  spirit  of  the  “inasmuch”  as  in¬ 
culcated  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  relation  to  those  who 
are  in  prison,  is  occasionally  manifested,  and  that  the 
rush  and  friction  of  wordliness  does  not  wholly  shut 
out  from  view  the  moral  and  religious  needs  of  the 
“men  behind  the  bars.”  The  good  people  to  whom 
you  refer  in  your  letter,  who  are  endeavoring  to  supply 
our  prisons  with  good  and  wholesome  literature,  are 
entitled  to  great  credit  for  their  efforts  in  this  direc- 
tion,  in  these  last  days  of  the  dispensation.  May  the 
blessings  of  our  Divine  Muster  be  with  them  in  their 
good  work.  Sincerely  yours, 

- ,  Chaplain. 


Iowa  State  Penitentiary. 

Port  Madison,  Iowa,  March  17,  1901. 
The  Gospel  Trumpet  Publishing  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

Gentlemen:  The  books  sent  by  you  to  the  peniten¬ 
tiary  have  been  received,  and  will  be  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  men.  Thanking  you  for  the  same,  I  am, 
Sincerely  yours, 

- ,  Chaplain. 


LETTERS  FROM  PRISON  OFFICIALS.  109 

^  * 

►  __ 

Onondago  County  Penitentiary. 

Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  17,  1901. 
Dear  Sirs:  Received  three  packages  of  books  from 
Gospel  Trumpet  Publishing  Co.,  Moundsville,  W  .Ara., 
for  the  benefit  of  the  convicts  in  our  institution. 
Hope  the  gift  is  accompanied  by  the  prayers  of  all  con¬ 
cerned  in  the  donation.  Yours ‘truly, 

— — — Chaplain. 


Kansas  State  Prison. 

Lansing,  Kans.,  March  6,  1901. 
The  Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Ya. 

Gentlemen:  We  have  received  to-day  your  donation 
of  books  to  this  prison.  We  assure  you  that  this  gift 
of  books  is  highly  appreciated  by  us,  and  will  be  of 
great  benefit  to  the  inmates  of  this  institution.  We 
wish  to  thank  you  and  others  who  are  placing  these 
books  in  the  prisons  of  this  country.  Thank  you  for 
donations  of  the  “  Gospel  Trumpet”  to  prisoners  each 
week.  Yours  truly,  - ,  Chaplain. 


BOOKS  WANTED  FOR  FEMALE  PRISONERS. 
Penitentiary  at  Anamosa. 

Anamosa,  la.,  March  6,  1901. 
The  Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

We  received  this  day  one  copy  each  of  “The  King¬ 
dom  of  God,”  “The  Better  Testament,”  “Mothers’ 


110 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


Counsel  to  Their  Sons,”  “Divine  Healing,”  “The 
Secret  of  Salvation”  (English  and  German  editions), 
“Songs  of  the  Evening  Light,”  a  Bagster’s  Teachers’ 
Bible.  I  find  we  have  now  seven  copies  of  the  book 
“The  Secret  of  Salvation”  in  our  library.  We  are 
obliged  for  copies  of  these  and  shall  hope  to  inclose 
them  in  our  revised  catalogue  which  we  hope  soon  to 
publish.  You  perhaps  are  not  aware  that  we  have  a 
female  department  to  the  prison,  but  seeing  “Letters 
of  Love  and  Counsel  for  Our  Girls”  listed,  leads  me 
to  refer  to  this  fact.  Your  letter  to  the  inmates  is 
appreciated.  Yours  truly, 

- ,  Acting  Chaplain. 


New  Jersey  State  Prison. 

Trenton,  March  5,  1901. 

E.  E.  Byrum. 

Dear  Sir:  The  package  of  books  and  tracts  which 
you  sent  for  the  benefit  of  the  prisoners  in  our  state 
prison  came  duly  to  hand,  and  the  warden  desires  me 
to  thank  you  for  your  timely  gift.  I  will  see  that  the 
books  and  tracts  are  judiciously  distributed,  so  that 
good  under  the  divine  blessing  may  come  through  the 
reading  of  such  good  literature.  .  .  I  will  be  glad  to 
have  you  send  religious  reading  matter  for  the  pris¬ 
oners,  knowing  that  with  His  blessing  much  good  can 
and  will  be  accomplished  by  such  a  course.  One  of 
the  factors  leading  to  a  life  of  crime  ha3  been  the 


LETTERS  FROM  PRISON  OFFICIALS . 


Ill 


character  of  reading  allowed  in  the  home.  Parents, 
ignorant  or  indifferent,  have  permitted  their  hoys  to 
devour  dime  novels  and  kindred  literature  until  their 
minds  have  become  saturated  with  evil.  Now  the 
antidote  is  good  reading  for  the  poor  victims  of  pa¬ 
rental  neglect  such  as  you  propose  to  furnish.  .  .  . 
Thanking  you  for  the  interest  you  have  taken  in  the 
welfare  of  those  incarcerated  here,  and  praying  the 
blessing  of  the  Great  Head  of  the  church  upon  you, 
I  am,  Yours  truly, 

- ,  Chaplain. 


MORE  GOOD  BOOKS  DESIRED. 

•  t 

Louisiana  Penitentiary.' 

Baton  Rouge,  La.,  March  13,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co. 

My  Dear  Friends:  Please  allow  me  to  thank  you  in 
behalf  of  the  prisoners  for  the  six  books  and  Bibles  you 
so  kindly  sent  recently.  We  all  appreciate  the  kind 
interest  you  take  in  us  in  sending  the  Gospel  Trumpet 
and  sincerely  trust  you  will  continue  sending  same,  as 
we  all  very  eagerly  look  forward  to  receiving  it.  If 
you  have  any  more  good  books  to  spare  we  will  be  very 
glad  to  receive  them,  as  we  all  enjoy  reading  very 
much.  Again  sincerely  thanking  you  for  past  favors. 
Very  respectfully, 


i 


,  Librarian. 


112 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


Allegheny  Penitentiary. 

Allegheny,  Pa.,  March  20,  1901. 

Dear  Sir:  I  feel  very  glad  that  you  are  now  and 
have  been  for  some  time  so  deeply  interested  in  an 
uplift  of  the  moral  forces  in  prisons,  and  that  your 
laudable  work  may  result  in  much  good,  is  my  sincere 
desire.  We  have  no  prison  paper  published  here  to 
send  you.  We  have  a  school  six  hours  every  day 
except  Sunday  for  the  illiterate,  a  Bible  and  hymn- 
book  for  each  man  that  will  use  them,  a  library  of 
8,500  volumes,  hundreds  of  daily  and  weekly  papers 
and  magazines,  Moody’s  books  and  tracts,  etc., by  which 
we  are  striving  to  give  light  and  spiritual  help  to  the 
prisoners.  Sincerely, 

- ,  Chaplain. 


Connecticut  State  Prison. 

Wethersfield,  Conn.,  March  6,  1901. 
The  Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., . 

Moundsville,  W.  Ya. 

Gentlemen :  The  eight  books  sent  this  institution, 
including  a  Bagster  Bible  and  song-book,  came  duly  to 
hand.  The  Bible  has  been  given  a  life  prisoner,  the 
song-book  went  to  the  choir,  and  the  other  books  were 
turned  over  to  the  chaplain — who  is  the  librarian — to 
be  placed  in  general  circulation.  Respectfully  yours, 

- ,  Warden. 


LETTERS  FROM  PRISON  OFFICIALS . 


113 


Idaho  State  Penitentiary. 

Boise  City,  Idaho,  March  8,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

Gentlemen:  Yours  of  recent  date  enclosing  letter  to 
prisoners  and  referring  to  printed  matter  sent  under 
separate  cover  at  hand.  The  letter  referred  to  shall  be 
placed  in  a  conspicuous  place  for  review  by  the  inmates 
of  our  institution.  The  reading  matter  will  also  be 
placed  at  their  disposal.  Be  assured  that  this  effort  on 
the  part  of  the  “friend”  who  has  paid  for  them  is  ap¬ 
preciated  by  the  present  Idaho  Prison  management. 
Yours  sincerely,  — - , Warden. 


Georgia  State  Prison  Farms. 

Statefarm,  Ga.,  March  5,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Ya. 

My  Dear  Sir:  Your  books  received,  and  the 
Bible  which  is  a  very  nice  one.  The  song-book  was 
sent  to  the  female  congregation  for  use  by  them.  We 
have  eighty-eight  women  there,  some  of  them  with 
good  voices,  and  they  sing  well.  We  "hope  the  words 
may  prove  a  savor  of  life  to  them.  The  other  books 
were  sent  to  the  male  department,  where  we  have  one 
hundred  and  forty  men  and  boys.  We  hope  they  too 
will  prove  a  blessing,  for  the  thing  most  important  for 
a  convict  is  salvation.  I  was  pleased  with  the  very 
excellent  quality  of  books  sent.  - ,  Supt. 


114 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


LETTER  FROM  A  SHERIFF. 

Wheaton,  Ill.,  April  23,  19U1. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co. 

Dear  Sirs:  I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a 
package  of  books  and  tracts  sent  me  for  the  use  of 
prisoners  under  my  charge.  Please  accept  my  thanks 
for  same.  I  heartily  commend  your  efforts  and  work. 
Very  truly  yours, 

- ,  Sheriff. 


PRISON*  CHRISTIAN  ENDEAVOR  SOCIET^. 

.  Jackson,  Mich.,  March  22,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

Gentlemen:  The  above  named  society  desire  you  to 
know  of  their  grateful  appreciation  for  the  donation 
of  several  valuable  books.  They  comprise  a  splendid 
addition  to  our  C.  E.  S.  Library,  which  is  eagerly  read 
by  the  members  and  others.  Thanking  you  for  re¬ 
membering  us,  I  remain,  Sincerely  yours, 

6890,  Corresponding  Secretary. 


HELP  SUPPLY  THE  PRISONERS. 

Maine  State  Prison. 

Thornston,  Maine,  April  30,  1901. 
Sirs:'  Your  letter  to  the  warden  has  been  passed  on 
to  me.  We  are  pleased  to  receive  religious  reading  to 


LETTERS  FROM  PRISON  OFFICIALS. 


115 


be  distributed  to  the  convicts  in  this  prison.  I  have 
an  arrangement  with  many  Christian  friends  who  aid, 
so  I  am  able  to  furnish  some  Christian  book  or  paper 
to  each  convict  each  week.  Yours  in  the  work  of  sav¬ 
ing  the  fallen,  — - ,  Chaplain. 


Sing  Sing  Prison. 

Sing  Sing,  N.  Y.,  March  7,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Ya. 

Dear  Sirs:  The  books  you  sent  for  use  of  the  pris¬ 
oners  in  this  prison  have  been  received,  and  I  thank 
you  for  the  same.  They  have  been  placed  in  the 
library.  It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  know  that  we  are 
in  the  thoughts  and  consciences  of  the  people  on  the 
great  outside  world.  .  .  .  Thanking  you  for  your  gift 
and  wishing  you  success  in  your  efforts  to  lift  up  fallen 
humanity,  I  remain,  Fraternally  yours, 

- ,  Chaplain  and  Librarian. 


PRISOK  LITERATURE  APPRECIATED. 

Alva,  Woods  Co.,  Okla.,  Dec.  20,  1900. 

Dear  Sirs:  Yours  along  with  the  books  you  sent 
were  received  last  week  and,  as  directed,  the  library 
was  placed  within  the  steel  cage,  where  the  prisoners 
could  have  free  access  to  it.  We  would  love  to  say  a 
word  of  encouragement  to  the  good  people  who  are 


116 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


interesting  themselves  in  behalf  of  the  poor  unfor¬ 
tunates  behind  iron  bars,  but  we  have  not  the  com¬ 
mand  of  language  to  express  our  admiration  of  this 
most  commendable  and  noble  work.  hTo  one  can  tell 
the  good  that  may  result  from  these  silent  compan¬ 
ions,  read  by  the  poor  unfortunates  when  shut  in  from 
the  world.  While  we  have  never  hoped  to  start  a 
reform  in  prison  life,  we  have  often  asked  for  mor6 
Christian  interest  in  behalf  of  the  prisoners.  Accept 
our  humble  thanks  for  this  most  generous  gift. 

- ,  Former  Jailer. 


California  State  Prison. 

4 

Eepresa,  Sacramento  Co.,  Cal.,  Feb.  13,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

Gentlemen:  I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
eight  books  for  prison  library.  We  are  very  grateful 
to  receive  anything  in  this  line,  and  any  sent  will  be 
thankfully  received.  Respectfully, 

- ,  General  Overseer. 


FROM  A  JAILER. 

Guthrie,  Logan  Co.,  Okla.,  June  14,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Publishing  Co. : 

I  am  glad  to  address  you  with  a  few  lines  to  inform 
you  that  I  received  a  package  of  books  and  tracts  for 


LETTERS  FROM  PRISON  OFFICIALS . 


117 


the  prisoners  in  my  charge.  The  same  have  been 
handed  them  to  read.  I  am  glad  to  say  that  they 
enjoy  reading  them  very  much.  I  take  an  interest  in 
reading  them  myself  and  think  they  are  the  best  books 
and  papers  I  ever  read,  and  a  great  gift  to  the  pris¬ 
oners.  They  seem  to  condemn  them  of  the  crimes 
that  they  have  committed.  I  am  glad  to  say  that  the 
gospel  can  not  be  preached  plainer  than  your  books 
and  papers  preach  it.  I  learn  through  your  books 
and  papers  what  it  takes  to  constitute  the  church  of 
God.  The  prisoners  of  this  jail  send  their  many 
thanks  for  the  literature  sent  them. 

- — ,  Turnkey. 


California  Prison. 

San  Quentin,  Cal.,  March  8,  1901. 
Editor  Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co. 

Dear  Sir:  I  beg  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  your 
kind  favor  of  books  and  one  fine  Bible  for  the  pris¬ 
oners.  I  have  added  the  books  to  the  library  and 
presented  the  Bible  to  one  of  the  most  worthy  and 
appreciative  of  the  prisoners,  whose  letter  I  have  en¬ 
closed.  I  believe  our  prisoners  have  been  much  helped 
by  the  distribution  of  your  excellent  religious  liter¬ 
ature  and  kindly  gifts.  I  shall  be  pleased  to  receive 
any  further  contributions  in  this  direction.  Thank¬ 
ing  you  in  the  name  of  the  prisoners,  I  am,  Yours, 

- ,  Chaplain. 


118 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


North  Dakota  State  Penitentiary. 

Bismarck,  N.  D.,  April  11,  1901. 

Gospel  Trumpet  Publishing  Co., 

Mounds ville,  W.  Va. 

Gents :  I  have  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  yours  of 
March  21st  and  owe  you  an  apology  for  not  giving  you 
an  earlier  answer  to  same.  You  are  doing  a  good 
wTork  which  is,  I  believe,  appreciated  by  the  unfor¬ 
tunates  whom  you  are  seeking  to  benefit,  as  well  as  by 
those  who  have  them  in  charge.  This  is  a  small  in¬ 
stitution;  we  have  at  this  date  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
inmates,  all  men.  The  moral  conditions  are,  I  be¬ 
lieve,  fairly  good  in  the  institution  but  there  is  great 
chance  for  improvement  and  I  will  be  grateful  for 
anything  you  may  be  able  to  do  to  assist  in  that  direc¬ 
tion,  and  trust  that  I  may  be  able  later  on  to  assist  you 
in  the  noble  work  in  which  you  are  engaged.  Re¬ 
spectfully,  - ,  Warden. 


BOOKS  USED  UNTIL  WORN  OUT. 

Kentucky  Penitentiary. 

Frankfort,  Ky.,  Feb.  8,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Ya. 

We  have  received  from  your  publishing  house  a  nice 
package  of  good  books.  I  take  this  opportunity  to 
acknowledge  receipt  of  same,  and  to  thank  you  kindly 
for  this  generous  donation.  The  books  are  turned 


LETTERS  FROM  PRISON  OFFICIALS. 


119 


into  the  hands  of  the  prisoners,  who  take  them 
eagerly,  and  are  very  grateful  for  them.  They  are 
passed  from  one  to  another  until  they  are  literally  worn 
out.  Allow  me  to  say  in  this  connection,  that  the 
problem  of  criminology  in  this  country  must  be  solved 
by  other  means  than  the  punitive  and  retributive  idea. 
We  have  been  more  than  a  century  trying  every  plan 
that  man  can  devise  to  check  and  cure  this  growing 
curse.  We  must  turn  to  the  means  provided  by  God 
Almighty.  The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  and 
true  remedy.  Disseminating  good  literature,  and 
instructing  in  the  ways  of  life,  is  a  step  in  the  right 
direction.  I  have  made  a  study  of  the  subjects  under 
my  charge,  for  nearly  three  years,  and  find  that  the 
man  who  fails  to  accept  Jesus,  and  have  his  soul 
washed  in  his  blood,  in  most  cases  leaves  this  place 
still  a  criminal.  May  God  help  us  to  lead  them  into 
the  light.  Many  blessings  upon  you  for  your  act  of 
mercy.  Very  truly,  your  brother  and  co-worker, 

- ,  Chaplain. 


Michigan  State  Prison. 

Jackson,  Mich.,  March  11,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

Gentlemen:  We  are  in  receipt  of  the  very  excellent 
collection  of  books  you  sent  us  for  the  use  of  the  men 
in  our  institution.  Please  accept  our  grateful  thanks 


120 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 

for  the  same,  and  be  assured  they  will  be  eagerly  read 
and  highly  prized  by  the  men.  Too  much’  can  not  be 
said  of  the  beneficial  influence  of  good  books  in  the 
prison.  Men  will  carefully  read  books  in  here  that 
they  would  not  look  at  outside.  And  then  too  they 
have  time  to  digest  what  they  read.  Again  thanking 
you  for  your  kind  remembrance  of  us,  1  beg  leave  to 
remain,  Yours  truly, 

- ,  Chaplain. 


Dover,  Del.,  Aug.  6,  1900. 

I  received  the  tracts  that  you  sent,  and  distributed 
them  among  the  prisoners.  They  seem  to  enjoy  them 
more  than  anything  they  have  ever  had  in  the  way  of 
reading.  I  shall  be  more  than  glad  to  distribute  all 
such  reading  as  that  proves  to  be.  Yours  respectfully, 
.  Warden  of  the  Kent  County  Prison. 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS. 


FELLOW  PRISONERS,  TAKE  COURAGE. 

Moundsville,  W.  Ya. 

Through  the  kindness  of  the  warden  I  am  permitted 
to  present  a  small  sketch  of  my  prison  life.  I  am 
glad  to  avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  of  relating  my 
experience  in  the  earnest  hope  that  some  one  as  un¬ 
fortunate  as  myself  may  be  benefited  thereby.  That 
this  is  written  within  prison-walls  will,  I  feel,  prove 
none  the  less  interesting.  The  first  night  I  spent  in 
prison  will  never  be  forgotten.  When  the  cell-doors 
clanged,  closing  in  upon  me,  I  felt  my  very  heart  sink 
within  me.  Then  with  a  contrite  heart  I  looked  to 
Jesus,  and  spent  the  night  in  prayer.  Oh,  what  a 
comfort  he  has  been  to  me!  I  then  and  there  made 
up  my  mind  to  follow  in  his  footsteps,  and  devote  my 
life  to  him. 

With  a  change  of  heart,  Christ  has  ever  been  with 

and  bountifully  blessed  me.  I  meet  with  great  kindnesa 

from  Christian  people,  and  every  consideration  from 

our  noble  warden  and  his  officers.  Because  I  am  in 

prison  I  need  not  be  useless  nor  unhappy.  I  accept  my 

situation  as  of  divine  appointment,  and  will  try  to  be 

contented  with  it.  Lamenting  over  the  past  will  do 

121 


122 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


no  good,  for  I  can  not  recall  or  change  it.  Complain¬ 
ing  of  the  present  will  not  mend  but  make  myself  and 
others  wretched.  Anxiety  about  the  future  will  not 
make  it  any  better.  My  heavenly  Father  has  permitted 
things  to  be  just  as  they  are,  and  I  know  he  loves  me. 
I  will  therefore  leave  all  to  him.  No  rebellion  shall 
be  cherished  in  my  heart,  and  no  murmur  shall  escape 
my  lips.  My  Savior  has  promised  that  his  grace  shall 
be  sufficient  for  me.  He  will  never  leave  me,  but  be 
a  present  help  in  time  of  need.  Trusting  in  him  and 
committing  all  to  my  loving  Father’s  care,  I  will  do 
what  I  can.  I  will  make  the  place  where  my  lot  is 
cast  as  bright  and  cheerful  as  possible,  and  work  and 
wait  with  patience  till  I  am  permitted  to  go  to  my 
heavenly  home. 

I  am  indebted  to  many  of  my  Christian  friends,  to 
all  of  whom  I  extend  my  heartfelt  thanks  for  many 
acts  of  kindness,  of  which  one  is  in  supplying  me 
with  a  fine  Teachers’  Bible  and  ol  her  good  religious 
reading  matter.  My  Bible  has  been  to  me  a  constant 
source  of  pleasure,  it  has  dispersed  the  dark  cloud  of 
sorrow  and  let  in  the  sunlight  of  God’s  love.  There 
was  a  time  when  I  believed  every  earthly  friend  had 
forsaken  me, and  that  I  was  only  known  by  a  number 
— the  number  on  the  books  of  a  prison.  In  a  cell, 
yea,  shut  away  from  the  full  light  of  day,  shut  away 
from  man,  I  was  lonely,  friendless,  forgotten — a  boy 
who  was  once  free  as  heaven’s  sunshine,  free  as  the 
birds  whose  songs  I  loved  to  hear.  I  remembered  my 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS. 


123 


home,  mj  mother,  the  good-night  kisses,  the  lilacs, 
the  roses,  the  orchard,  the  swing,  the  schoolhonse, 
and  the  playmates.  Then  I  thought  of  that  beautiful 
and  pathetic  hymn,  “Oh,  where  is  my  wandering  boy 
to-night?”  and  I  resolved  that  I  would  flee  to  the  One 
whom  God  had  appointed  to  bring  forth  the  prisoner 
from  the  prison-house  of  sin.  My  brothers,  you  are 
not  forgotten.  If  mother  is  alive,  she  is  praying  for 
you,  and  the  God  to  whom  she  prays  loves  you.  “Yea, 
I  have  loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love”;  “and,  lo, 
I  am  with  you  alway.”  He  has  all  the  angels  of 
heaven  working  to  help  fallen  humanity  to  be  saved 
from  sin.  “Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits,  sent 
forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salva¬ 
tion?” — Heb.  1:14.  And  I  am  glad  that  I  can  testify 
to  the  facts,  that  behind  prison-walls,  in  the  dark 
shadows  of  a  prison-cell,  are  sons  and  daughters  of 
God,  heirs  of  God,  joint-heirs  with  Christ,  heirs  >f 
salvation,  and  to  these  heirs  of  salvation  angels  are 
sent  forth  to  minister.  The  angel  in  your  cell  waits, 
brother.  Kneel  and  pray.  “If  we  confess  our  sins, 
he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to 
cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteusness.  ” — 1  Jno.  1:9. 

Can  I,  can  you,  live  a  Christian  life  in  bondage? 
My  answer  is  in  the  affirmative.  It  has  been  tested 
and  proved  beyond  a  doubt.  I  will  recall  the  incident 
of  J oseph.  When  he  was  a  mere  boy  he  was  sold  by 
his  brethren  and  cast  into  bondage.  He  resisted 
temptation,  even  when  he  knew  that  in  so  doing  he  was 


124 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


taking  just  so  many  steps  toward  the  dungeon.  Gen. 
39:7-20.  In  adversity,  as  well  as  in  prosperity,  he 
gave  all  honor  to  God.  Gen.  41:16.  He  forgave  his 
brethren  when  most  men  would  have  been  tempted  to 
punish  them.  Gen.  50:15-21.  We  can  learn  from 
Joseph’s  prison  life  a  remarkable  lesson.  That  God 
was  with  him  in  all  things  was  unmistakably  true. 
He  was  blessed  and  elevated  to  noble  positions.  This 
honor  he  gained  by  his  uprightness  in  his  daily  walk 
before  God.  Gen.  39:  21-23;  Acts  7:9.  God  used  him 
as  an  insti  ument  to  unfold  his  plans.  -  Gen.  45:5-8; 
50:20;  Acts  7:9-14.  If  Joseph,  a  mere  boy,  could 
walk  uprightly  before  God  and  receive  a  blessing  in 
prison,  I  or  any  one  else  can  do  the  same  by  the  grace 
of  God,  and  by  his  grace  I  will.  And  again,  Peter, 
the  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  imprisoned  by  Herod 
and  was  delivered  by  an  angel  through  the  prayer  of 
the  church,  yet  he  could  not  realize  that  he  was  re¬ 
leased  from  his  bonds  and  imprisonment,  but  thought 
that  it  was  a  vision.  Acts  12:4-9.  Paul  and  Silas 
suffered  bonds  of  imprisonment,  and  stripes  of  per¬ 
secution  for  proclaiming  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and 
during  all  their  persecution  sang  songs  of  praise  and 
lifted  their  voices  in  prayer  to  the  Lord.  Acts  16:22- 
26.  If  all  of  these  men  could  offer  so  much  praise  to 
God  under  such  trying  circumstances,  I  or  any  one 
else  can  do  the  same,  but  only  through  his  grace.  By 
his  grace  I  will.  When  we  fully  submit  our  minds  to 
God’s  mind  and  plans,  then  God  will  teach  us  tfn> 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS 


125 


sweet  lesson  that  “all  things  work  together  for  good 
to  them  that  love  God.” — Rom.  8:28.  Trust  him 
and  open  your  heart  to  him  and  you  will  experience 
this  peace  which  he  gives  to  his  followers,  a  peace 
such  as  the  world  can  neither  give  nor  take  away. 

In  conclusion  I  must  say,  if  the  dear  readers  could 
but  hear  the  pleading,  fervent  prayers  and  the  touch¬ 
ing  testimonies  of  these  unfortunates,  they  would  place 
a  higher  estimate  on  the  prisoner,  and  by  word  and  act 
help  him  rise,  as  it  were,  above  his  surroundings.  The 
prisoners  are  given  to  understand  by  our  warden  that 
the  prayer-meeting  services  are  theirs,  and  let  me  say 
there  are  about  fifty  of  the  boys  here  who  try  to  make 
the  best  of  it,  and  in  no  single  instance  have  they 
violated  the  privilege  granted  to  them  during  this 
service.  I  consider  it  a  privilege  to  stand  up  for  God, 
even  within  the  confining  bars  of  a  penitentiary.  My 
brother  prisoner,  the  Master  is  calling  for  you.  Think 
of  it,  whosoever  believeth  on  God’s  only  Son,  a  free 
and  a  full  salvation  shall  he  have,  for  God  is  both 
willing  and  able  to  save.  “What  must  I  do  to  be 
saved?  And  they  said,  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.” — Acts  16:30.  Sal¬ 
vation  is  in  the  name  of  Jesus;  “neither  is  there  sal¬ 
vation  in  any  other:  for  there  is  none  other  name 
under  heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be 
saved.” — Acts  4:12.  “Choose  you  this  day  whom  ye 
will  serve.” — Josh.  24:15.  May  God  bless  and  uplift 
the  fallen  everywhere.  Serial  No.  2282. 


126 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


SAVED  BEHIND  PRISON-BARS. 

Washington  Co.  Jail,'Potasi,  Mo.,  Sept.  23,  1900. 

I  was  a  very  wicked  man  when  I  was  put  in  here, 
but  by  reading  books  and  tracts  sent  me  I  soon  real¬ 
ized  my  condition,  and  oh,  how  I  repented  of  my  many 
sirs  and  called  on  God  for  mercy!  Now  I  am  so  hap¬ 
py  to  tell  you  that  he  freely  forgave  me  all.  Praise 
his  dear  name!  Although  I  have  been  in  here  °  long 
time  my  hours  have  been  sweet  since  I  found  jesus. 
I  expect  to  leave  here  in  a  few  days  for  the  state  prison 
at  Jefferson  City,  but  oh,  1  have  the  sweet  promise : 
“I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee.”  I  have 
promised  God  that  the  rest  of  my  days  shall  be  spent 
for  him  who  has  done  so  much  for  me.  I  expect  to 
work  for  God  all  I  can  while  in  the  penitentiary,  dis¬ 
tributing  papers  and  books  that  are  sent  to  me  for  that 
purpose.  Dear  ones,  pray  that  God  may  ever  use  me. 

J.  H.  E. 


FROM  A  CONDEMNED  PRISONER. 

Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico. 

Through  the  kindness  of  a  lady  in  California  a  few 
copies  of  your  paper,  the  Gospel  Trumpet,  have  found 
their  way  into  this  prison  (Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico). 
Each  copy  has  been  met  with  a  hearty  welcome,  and 
well  read.  This  prison  has  about  230  men  behind  its 
walls.  About  one  hundred  of  these  men  can  read  the 
English  language,  and  are  in  need  of  the  true  gospel. 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS . 


127 


If  any  of  God’s  children  who  read  this  feel  that  they 
would  like  to  send  a  few  copies  of  the  Trumpet,  or 
tracts,  or  any  other  spiritual  literature  to  this  prison, 
the  writer  will  take  pleasure  in  distributing  the  same. 

I  am  happy  to  say  that  I  feel  the  effects  of  the  many 
earnest  prayers  that  are  rising  daily  in  my  behalf.  I 
am  a  condemned  man  and  have  been  lying  under  a 
death  sentence  for  over  thirteen  months.  My  case  will 
be  disposed  of  in  August,  and  I  need  the  prayers  of 
all  God’s  dear  people.  Brothers  and  sisters,  pray  for 
me.  I  have  many  friends  and  loved  ones  praying  that 
it  may  be  God’s  will  to  give  me  my  liberty  next  spring. 
Will  every  one  who  may  read  this  join  us  in  this  prayer, 
and  always  close  with  “ God’s  will  be  done.”  Bear 
ones,  I  am  only  in  one  of  God’s  schools,  and  his  great 
Spirit  gives  me  strength  to  rejoice  with  all  my  sad 
trouble.  I  was  placed  in  this  dungeon  April  4,  1899, 
and  have  not  seen  a  star  since.  Oh,  I  know  they 
would  look  beautiful!  The  sun  never  reaches  my 
little  palace;  but  I  am  happy  to  say,  “ There  is  sun¬ 
shine  in  my  soul  to-day.”  Have  not  been  sick  an 
hour  since  here.  All  the  praise  to  my  dear  Savior. 
I  am  expecting  to  get  my  case  reversed  in  August,  am 
putting  my  trust  in  higher  power  than  man.  “If 
God  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us?” — Bom.  8:31. 
I  know  that  I  have  the  prayers  and  sympathy  of  every 
one  that  loves  Jesus  Christ  and  his  cause,  and  when 
my  case  is  decided  I  will  let  you  all  know  the  verdict 
through  the  Trumpet.  My  enemies  are  many,  and  I 


128 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


will  ask  you  all  to  remember  them  daily,  in  your 
prayers.  I  love  their  souls,  and  my  earnest  prayer  is 
that  I  may  meet  them  all  in  heaven.  Reader,  meet 
me  at  Jesus’  feet.  W.  B.  H.,  Box  426. 


Territorial  Prison  of  Arizona. 

Yuma,  Ariz.,  Nov.  17,  1900. 

Dear  Sirs:  Our  honorable  superintendent  gave  me 
your  letter  accompanying  some  books  and  tracts  you 
sent  to  the  prisoners  in  the  Territorial  Prison  at 
Yuma,  Arizona,  a  few  days  ago.  As  it  happens  to  be 
my  misfortune  to  be  one  of  the  number  incarcerated 
in  this  place,  I  take  pleasure  in  writing  you  and  tell¬ 
ing  my  experience  of  what  Jesus  can  do  for  a  man 
behind  the  prison-walls.  Like  many  others  behind 
the  prison-bars,  no  doubt,  I  enjoyed  the  blessing  of 
being  brought  up  in  a  Christian  community,  but  had 
never  been  brought  to  the  realization  of  the  fact  that 
I  needed  the  protection  of  a  loving  Savior  to  guide  me 
through  this  life,  and  like  the  prodigal  son  I  thought 
I  could  take  care  of  myself.  But  like  so  many  hun¬ 
dreds  of  others  that  take  no  heed  to  their  earlier  train¬ 
ing,  fell  into  bad  company,  which  finally  led  to  the 
cause  of  my  misfortune  that  placed  me  behind  the 
prison-walls. 

At  first  the  thought  of  being  in  prison,  and  loved 
ones  at  home,  almost  drove  me  wild.  The  days  were 
too  long,  the  nights  too  long;  I  could  not  content  my- 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS . 


129 


self  with  reading,  and  could  scarcely  work.  I  thought 
I  was  the  most  miserable  man  on  earth,  and  almost 
wished  I  could  die.  Finally  I  concluded  to  try  to 
read  the  Bible.  I  had  scarcely  looked  in  a  Bible  for 
nine  years,  much  less  read  a  single  chapter.  So  I 
secured  a  Bible  and  began  at  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis,  and  read  a  few  chapters  at  leisure  hours.  I 
would  mark  the  place  where  1  left  off  and  commence 
there  when  I  had  another  opportunity  to  read.  The 
more  I  read  the  more  interesting  it  became;  so  I 
finally  read  it  through.  By  the  time  I  read  it  through 
I  had  become  so  interested  I  would  take  the  Bible  to 
the  cell  with  me  at  night  and  read  till  the  lights  were 
turned  out,  and  I  concluded  to  read  it  through  again 
and  take  more  time  in  reading  and  try  to  get  a  better 
understanding  of  it.  Before  I  got  through  the  second 
time  I  was  convicted  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  I  realized 
that  I  was  not  only  a  convict,  but  a  sinner.  I  accepted 
Christ  as  my  Savior,  and  have  been  trying  to  serve  him 
ever  since. 

It  has  made  a  new  man  of  me.  The  days  and  nights 
are  now  not  too  long,  and  I  can  work  as  though  I  were 
drawing  a  salary.  The  Bible  is  the  most  precious 
book  in  the  world  to  me,  and  the  longer  I  serve  Christ 
the  more  I  am  determined  to  serve  him  the  remainder 
of  my  life.  My  prayer  is  that  every  man  behind  the 
prison-bars  may  accept  Christ  as  their  Savior,  while  in 
prison;  for  if  they  wait  until  they  get  out,  the  temp¬ 
tations  are  too  great  and  the  chances  are  against  them. 


130 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


My  advice  to  my  fellow  convicts  is  to  read  the  Bible; 
if  it  is  not  interesting  at  first  it  will  become  inter¬ 
esting;  it  will  broaden  your  minds,  it  will  make 
better  men  and  women  of  you,  it  will  help  you  to  bear 
your  burdens,  and  maybe  the  means  of  saving  your 
souls. 

I  thank  you  for  the  books  and  tracts,  and  assure  you 
they  will  be  read  and  appreciated  by  quite  a  number 
of  the  men  here,  and  trust  God  will  bless  you  in  your 
efforts  to  lead  fallen  men  to  the  Savior.  Ii.  C. 


Jackson,  Mo.,  April  4,  1900. 

We,  the  prisoners  of  Jackson,  Missouri,  thank  you 
for  sending  us  those  good  papers.  We  would  to  God 
we  were  able  to  express  our  gratitude  for  the  Gospel 
Trumpet  and  to  you  for  your  great  desire  to  help  us  to 
be  better  men.  I  wish  we  had  thousands  of  such  men 
and  women  as  you  are.  I  do  wish  that  every  poor 
soul  in  this  world  could  get  a  Gospel  Trumpet  and 
read  and  see  the  great  light  it  gives  to  any  one  trying 
to  serve  the  true  God.  I  desire  your  faithful  prayers 
to  help  me  bear  1  he  cross,  and  also  wish  the  prayers 
of  all  your  brothers  and  friends  that  I  may  be  a  better 
man.  Pray  God  to  deliver  me  from  my  enemies  and 
out  of  this  prison.  I  have  a  dear  wife  and  six  little 
children  and  want  to  return  home  to  them.  I  will 
leave  here  to-morrow  for  Jefferson  City  Mo.  prison, 
and  hope  to  hear  from  you  again.  May  God  help  you 
to  help  every  poor  soul.  L.  L.  B. 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS .  f81 

Charleston,  Mo.,  April  18,  1900. 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  April  16,  it  was  kindly 
received  by  the  prisoners  in  jail,  and  we  were  very 
thankful  to  you  for  those  papers  you  sent.  All  the 
boys  send  their  many  thanks.  There  are  nine  here 
and  expect  to  be  here  for  quite  a  while,  and  would  like 
very  much  if  you  only  had  some  one  come  here  and 
talk  to  us  and  bring  us  papers.  Hoping  to  hear  from 
you  again  and  receive  some  more  papers.  Many 
thanks  from  all  the  prioners  in  jail.  - 


Greenville,  Mo.,  March  27,  1900. 

Yours  of  the  26th  received  with  roll  of  papers. 
Must  say  we  were  glad  to  get  them.  We  are  glad  to 
have  plenty  at  all  times.  As  may  be  expected,  there 
are  some  in  this  prison  who  need  something  to  en¬ 
courage  them,  and  should  you  deem  it  expedient  you 
may  send  us  some  papers,  such  as  you  may  think  best 
to  send.  I  for  one  need  reformation  and  will  be 
pleased  to  have  your  assistance  in  trying  to  follow  the 
steps  of  the  Savior.  Your  well  wisher. 


Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  April  10,  1900. 

We,  the  prisoners  of  Cole  County  Jail,  received  your 
kind  letter  and  papers  this  morning.  We  are  very 
thankful  to  you  for  your  good  wishes  and  appreciate 
your  interest  in  us  to  help  us  to  be  better  men.  It 


132 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


is  a  matter  to  be  deplored  that  in  the  great  state  of  Mo. 
there  are  so  few  who  would  put  out  the  hand  of  mercy 
to  fallen  humanity.  Your  papers  will  always  be  wel¬ 
come,  and  we  hope  they  will  do  the  good  you  intend. 

V 

With  sincere  good  wishes  we  subscribe  ourselves 

Prisoners  of  Cole  County  Jail. 

P.  S.  A  Bible  and  gospel  hymn-book  would  be 
very  much  appreciated. 


Nevada,  Mo.,  April  19,  1900. 

It  is  with  pleasure  1  answer  your  most  kind  and  wel¬ 
come  letter  received  the  18th  with  joy  and  delight. 
There  are  ten  men  in  this  jail  and  each  sends  his 
thanks  to  you  for  your  kindness.  Nearly  every  word 
in  the  papers  has  been  read.  I  am  not  a  Christian, 
but  I  ofttimes  wish  I  could  be  converted,  for  the 
Christians  seem  to  be  so  happy,  and  I  cherish  a  hope 
that  I  may  soon  get  out  of  darkness  into  light.  I  was 
in  here  four  months  without  any  Christian  influence  or 
Christian  papers  to  read,  and  my  mind  seemed  to 
wander  away  to  some  unknown  realm  of  darkness  until 
the  last  night  of  March,  when  the  door  opened  and 
we  were  presented  with  some  little  books,  and  on 
the  first  day  of  April  we  received  another  roll  and  also 
some  papers  which  were  sent  to  us  by  the  good  Chris¬ 
tian  ladies  of  Nevada,  and  you  do  not  know  how  it 
brightened  my  hopes  and  prospects.  It  made  me 
think  that  I  had  some  friends  to  speak  a  word  of  en- 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS. 


133 


couragement  to  me.  We  like  the  Gospel  Trumpet. 
It  is  a  splendid  paper  for  any  one  to  read,  and  I  hope 
I  may  have  the  pleasure  of  reading  more  of  them. 
Your  true  friend,  - - 


Centerville,  Ala.,  Sept.  9,  1900. 

I  will  answer  your  letter.  I  was  glad  to  get  your 
books;  they  gave  me  much  light.  I  have  been  in  jail 
a  long  time  and  you  are  the  first  one  that  has  ever 
sent  me  anything  to  read.  I  would  like  to  have  some 
more  books  to  read.  Yours,  J.  D.  W. 


Will  County  Jail,  Joliet,  Ill.,  April  7,  1900. 

We,  the  inmates  of  this  institution,  surely  appre- 
icate  the  consideration  which  you  have  taken  in  us. 
And  as  the  County  of  Will  does  not  furnish  a  library 
we  the  inmates  will  be  pleased  to  receive  any  liter¬ 
ature  which  you  have  to  spare.  Inmates. 


Georgetown,  Del.,  Aug.  7,  1900. 

We  received  those  little  books  and  tracts,  and  we 
prisoners  were  very  glad  to  receive  them,  although  we 
are  all  sinners  in  this  place.  There  are  nineteen  of  us 
at  present — seven  white  men  and  twelve  colored  men. 
We  are  treated  very  kindly  by  the  keepers.  Please 
send  us  more  books.  From  the  Prisoners. 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


m 


Hartford,  Conn.,  Ang.  12,  1900. 

We  have  to  again  thank  you  for  sending  us  books, 
tracts,  etc.  We  fully  appreciate  the  motives  with 
which  these  books  are  sent,  and  are  sure  that  they 
will. bear  fruit  in  due  season.  The  books,  etc.,  are 
very  interesting  and  are  looked  forward  to  with  great 
pleasure.  We  trust  that  everybody  who  reads  them 
will  be  benefited  by  their  teachings.  And  when  we 
are  permitted  to  go  forth  into  the  world  again,  we 
trust  we  may  be  able  to  render  assistance  to  some 
needy  brother  or  sister  who  is  seeking  to  find  Jesus. 
May  God  bless  you  in  your  good  work.  In  behalf  of 
the  prisoners  in  Hartford  Jail.  I  beg  to  remain  yours 
sincerely,  J.  W.  C. 


Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  Aug.  22,  1900. 

I  will  drop  you  a  few  lines  in  answer  to  yours,  which 
I  received,  and  also  a  package  of  books  which  I  was 
also  glad  to  receive,  and  pleased  to  hear  from  you.  I 
am  still  trusting  in  God,  and  will  trust  in  him  until 
death.  There  are  five  boys  in  here  beside  myself, 
who  are  reading  those  books  that  you  sent  me.  They 
think  them  good.  It  does  me  good  to  know  they  like 
them.  I  am  going  to  live  for  God  the  rest  of  my  days* 
and  keep  out  of  trouble.  I  have  sadly  repented  of 
this,  and  I  know  God  forgives  me.  I  have  promised 
my  God  that  I  will  serve  him  the  rest  of  my  days,  and 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS. 


135 


I  am  going  to  keep  it  by  the  help  of  God.  Many 

thanks  for  those  books.  From  your  saved  brother, 

H.  T.  B. 


FROM  A  CALIFORNIA  PRISONER. 

San  Quentin,  Cal.,  March  8,  1901. 
Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

My  Dear  Friends:  Your  very  kind  letter  addressed 
to  the  prisoners  has  been  given  to  me  by  the  chaplain 
to  answer.  It  is  a  great  consolation  to  the  prisoners 
to  know  that  there  are  good  people  in  the  world  who 
sympathize  with  the  unfortunate.  The  Gospel  Trump¬ 
et  has  been  eagerly  sought  after  and  read  with  in¬ 
terest  and  benefit  by  many  of  the  boys.  It  is  casting 
bread  upon  the  waters  of  life.  We  frequently  have  it 
thrown  in  our  faces — those  who  are  trying  to  live  the 
Christian  life — that  state’s  prison  is  a  poor  place  to 
come  to  get  religion.  Now  I  admit  that  this  is  true, 
also  that  it  is  a  poor  place  to  come  to  for  any  purpose 
provided  that  we  are  obliged  to  come  as  so  many  of  us 
are;  however,  I  thank  God  that  I  have  found  the 
way  to  a  better  life  notwithstanding  I  am  in  state’s 
prison.  It  is  better  to  find  Christ  in  prison  than  not 
to  find  him  at  all.  If  we  repent  and  ask  Christ  to 
forgive  us,  he  is  willing  and  able  to  forgive  us  in  prison 
as  well  as  anywhere  else,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all 
sin.  I  thank  God  that  I  can  report  victory  through 


136 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


grace.  Christ  is  able  to  save  me  and  keep  me  in 
prison.  The  farther  along,  the  brighter  the  way 
grows.  Salvation  has  made  such  a  radical  change  in 
mj  life  that  I  can  scarcely  recognize  my  former  self. 
God  has  so  strengthened  my  faith  as  to  banish  all 
doubts  and  fears  and  filled  me  with  humble,  peaceful 
love.  Thank  God  for  this  glorious  change.  I  am 
indeed  in  full  possession  of  a  new  nature;  old  things 
have  passed  away;  behold,  all  things  are  become  new. 
I  received  from  our  chaplain  the  elegant  Bible  which 
you  sent.  I  assure  you  that  I  appreciate  it  very  much 
and  will  keep  it  as  a  great  treasure  while  I  live.  Those 
other  books  are  highly  appreciated.  Surely  it  is  cast¬ 
ing  your  bread  upon  the  waters  of  life.  Christ  said  he 
that  giveth  unto  the  least  of  God’s  creatures  a  cup  of 
cold  water  will  receive  his  reward.  Your  gift  is  a  well 
of  water  flowing  over,  and  God  will  reward  you  in  pro¬ 
portion.  Your  brother  in  Christ, 

- ,  Serial  Number  10  55. 


PAPERS  AND  BOOKS  SOLICITED. 

Walla  Walla,  Washington,  Feb.  19,  1901, 
Mr.  E.  E.  Byrum, 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

My  Dear  Sir:  A  fellow  inmate  of  this,  the  Washing¬ 
ton  State  Penitentiary,  has  been  kind  enough,  on  two 
or  three  occasions,  to  permit  me  a  perusal  of  your 
most  excellent  publication,  the  Gospel  Trumpet.  I 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS. 


137 


feel  certain  that  I  have  been  benefited  through  the 
privilege,  as  within  a  sinful  environment,  such  as 
obtained  here,  one  needs  the  wholesome  and  uplifting 
encouragement  that  is  breathed  through  the  columns 
of  your  magazine.  In  one  of  your  issues  I  note  that 
you  have  a  fund  set  aside  the  proceeds  of  which  are 
devoted  to  furnishing  Christian  literature  to  those 
whose  lack  of  means  precludes  them  from  otherwise 
obtaining  it.  Had  I  the  money  I  would  gladly  remit 
for  a  supply,  but  isolated  as  I  am  I  am  unable  to  pro¬ 
vide  it,  and  therefore,  if  I  may  presume  upon  your 
charity,  I  assure  you  that  I  shall  feel  truly  grateful  for 
any  remembrance  which  your  goodness  may  prompt 
you  to  tender.  Thanking  you  in  advance  for  a 
response,  I  remain,  Yours  very  truly, 

— - ,  Prisoner. 


FROM  A  LIFE  PRISONER. 

Nevada  State  Prison. 

Carson  City,  Nev.,  April  18,  1901. 
The  Gospel  Trumpet  Pub.  Co., 

Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

Dear  Friends:  Your  kind  letter  and  the  books  were 
duly  received,  for  which  please  accept  my  thanks.  I 
read  your  letter  to  the  men  one  Sunday  morning 
just  at  the  opening  of  service.  The  effect  of  its  kindly 
expressions  upon  the  men  in  general  I  am  unable  to 


138 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS . 


state,  but  personally  I  wish  to  thank  you.  T  have 
read  your  books  and  like  them.  I  like  the  plain 
speaking  which  I  find  there,  in  denouncing  this  make- 
believe  Cristianity.  Above  all  men,  the  prisoner  is 
quick  to  see  the  non-practice  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
by  his  professed  followers,  and  seeing  it,  they  conclude 
it  is  all  pretense.  I  speak  of  those  who  read  the  Bible. 
Consequently  very  few  make  any  effort  to  lead  a  true 
life,  and  care  very  little  for  Christian  reading.  Of 
course  they  are  wrong  in  that  respect,  as  they  have 
been  in  many  others,  but  being  blind  they  are  unable 
to  see,  I  know,  and  so  does  any  one  who  thinks  or 
reads,  that  our  penal  systems  are  of  the  most  un- 
Christlike  nature  possible,  breathing  more  of  the 
spirit  of  hell  than  of  the  spirit  that  lifts  heavenward. 
Why  our  people  will  continue  in  this  spirit  I  know  not. 
Perhaps  some  time  a  true  soul  will  arise  in  this  special 
subject  and  bring  about  more  righteous  conditions. 
God  grant  that  it  be  so. 

With  many  thanks  for  your  kindly  interest  in  the 
prisoner,  and  for  the  books  sent,  I  am,  with  Christian 
love,  Kespectfully  yours, 

E.  S. - ,  Life  Prisoner. 


Jonesooro,  Ark. 

Dear  Friend:  We  received  your  letter  and  books. 
We  were  so  glad  to  get  them.  We  were  playing  cards 
when  the  sheriff  handed  them  to  us.  We  laid  the 


TESTIMONIES  OF  CONVICTS < 


139 


cards  away  and  went  to  reading,  and  the  more  we  read 
the  more  interested  we  became.  I  have  prayed  to 
God  to  forgive  me  of  my  sins  and  I  believe  he  does, 
and  I  want  you  to  pray  for  me.  There  are  three  other 
men  in  here  that  have  turned  to  God,  and  it  all  came 
about  through  the  letters  and  books.  We  thank  you  for 
the  Testament,  ^ray  for  us  and  please  send  us  more 
of  those  books  and  papers.  They  help  us  so  much. 

o  »  * 

FROM  A  PRISON  WORKER. 

The  prison  work  is  growing  and  precious  souls  are 
being  saved.  It  is  wonderful  how  readily  these  men 
accept  the  full  teaching  of  the  Bible,  taking  Christ 
as  their  Savior  and  Healer.  When  I  read  their  letters 
so  cheerful  and  so  happy  in  Jesus,  it  makes  me  to 
rejoice.  The  work  is  spreading  from  state  to  state 
and  calls  are  coming  in  for  pure  literature.  The  state 
prisons  have  libraries  in  them,  but  they  are  filled  with 
novels  (so  the  prisoners  tell  me),  and  they  desire  some¬ 
thing  better.  When  these  books  and  papers  are  put  in 
their  hands  they  forsake  the  cards  and  novels  and  read 
something  that  will  do  them  good.  We  thank  God 
for  those  who  have  helped  us  so  much  in  this  work,  but 
our  need  this  morning  is  greater  than  ever  because  the 
work  is  greater,  and  we  are  praying  God  to  touch  the 
hearts  of  his  people  to  supply  the  free-literature  fund 
with  ample  means  to  send  us  another  shipment  of 
books  and  tracts.  A  prisoner  in  Jefferson  City  and 
one  in  Menard,  Ill.  have  permission  to  distribute 


140 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


books  and  tracts  they  receive  and  they  are  faithfully 
discharging  their  duty.  May  God  help  us  to  keep 
them  supplied,  and  not  them  only  but  other  prisons  as 
well.  We  do  not  feel  like  it  is  God’s  will  for  us  to 
quit  the  field  now  and  turn  it  over  to  the  enemy  when 
souls  are  being  saved.  Let  each  one  do  his  duty  and 
the  work  can  be  carried  on  without  any  one  feeling  the 
burden.  Your  co-laborer  in  the  work,  L.  P - . 


RELEASED  FROM  PRISON. 


A  sentence  to  a  term  of  years  in  prison  in  many 
states  is  commuted  to  “short  time,”  so  many  days 
being  deducted  from  each  month  for  good  behavior. 
An  attempt  to  escape  or  continuance  in  disobedience 
will  require  a  full-term  service.  In  some  states  there 
is  a  parole  law  where  for  good  behavior  prisoners  may 
be  paroled  or  given  liberty  to  go  anywhere  in  the  state 
by  reporting  once  or  twice  a  month,  stating  their 
whereabouts,  and  at  the  end  of  a  given  period,  if  they 
do  not  abuse  their  privileges  by  leaving  the  state,  they 
will  be  given  a  final  discharge. 

The  state  of  West  Virginia  has  recently  passed  a  bill 
to  create  and  establish  a  free  public  employment 
bureau,  which  came  into  effect  May  15,  1901,  as  fol¬ 
lows  : 

“Be  it  known  by  the  legislature  of  West  Virginia: 

1.  The  Commissioner  of  Labor  is  hereby  authorized 
to  organize  and  establish  in  connection  with  the  bureau 
of  labor  a  free  public  employment  bureau  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  receiving  applications  from  persons  seeking 
employment  and  applications  from  persons  seeking  to 
employ  laborers. 

“2.  Ko  compensation  or  fee  shall  be  charged  or 
received  directly  or  indirectly  from  persons  applying 

141 


142 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


for  work,  information,  or  help  through  said  depart¬ 
ment.  The  Commissioner  of  Labor  is  hereby  author¬ 
ized  to  employ  such  assistance  and  incur  such  expense 
as  may  be  necessary  to  carry  into  effect  the  purpose  of 
this  act,  but  such  assistance  and  expense  shall  not 
exceed  $500.00  per  annum,”  etc.,  etc. 

In  compliance  with  this  act  of  the  legislature  a  free 
public  employment  bureau  has  been  established  at 
Wheeling,  twelve  miles  from  Moundsville  penitentiary. 
This  will  not  only  be  the  means  of  furnishing  men 
with  work  who  have  never  been  in  prison  und  thus 
keep  them  out,  but  will  be  a  privilege  much  appreci¬ 
ated  by  those  who  have  just  been  released.  It  would 
be  wisdom  on  the  part  of  the  lawmakers  of  every 
state  to  thus  provide  a  similar  institution  some¬ 
where  near  their  state  prisons. 

To  the  prisoner  whose  term  has  just  expired  we 
desire  to  give  a  few  words  of  advice.  You  now  start 
out  in  life  anew.  There  are  great  responsibilities  be¬ 
fore  you.  No  doubt  many  of  you  the  world  will  meet 
with  a  frown,  and  look  disdainfully  upon  you  because 
of  your  past  career,  or  that  you  have  been  in  prison. 
Do  not  give  way  to  discouragement  under  such  circum¬ 
stances;  face  the  world  with  a  smile,  shun  the  places 
of  vice  and  wickedness,  shun  evil  companions;  and  on 
the  other  hand,  seek  society  that  will  be  elevating.  If 
strong  drink  was  at  one  time  a  temptation  to  you  or 
the  cause  of  your  downfall,  shun  the  places  where  it 
is  sold  or  used  as  you  would  shun  death  itself.  Like- 


RELEASED  FROM  PRISON . 


143 


wise  shun  the  card-table  and  pool-room,  which  only  lead 
to  a  drunkard’s  life.  Always  have  courage  enough  to 
say  No  when  evil  companions  seek  to  lead  you  astray. 
There  is  a  God  in  heaven  who  will  help  you.  Let  not 
a  day  pass  by  without  prayer  to  him  for  his  direction 
and  his  protection.  If  you  have  never  received  a 
change  of  heart,  do  not  rest  satisfied  nor  cease  pressing 
the  battle  on  that  line  until  you  have  obtained  the 
peace  of  God  in  your  soul,  which  is  beyond  under¬ 
standing  and  flows  as  a  river  from  the  throne  of  God. 
You  may  have  many  temptations  to  fall  back  into  your 
old  habits  of  life,  but  by  persistent  resentment  and 
applying  to  the  Lord  for  help  you  will  be  enabled  to 
come  out  victorious.  I  remember  a  few  years  ago  a 
young  man  was  released  from  a  prison  in  New  York 
because  of  his  good  behavior  and  was  given  an  honor¬ 
able  discharge.  He  did  not  care  to  take  up  his  old 
habits  again,  but  as  he  wandered  about  from  place  to 
place  meeting  old  companions  and  associating  with 
them,  he  found  great  difficulty  in  refraining  from 
picking  people’s  pockets,  as  he  had  been  in  the  habit 
of  doing  in  former  years.  When  the  temptation  came 
upon  him  it  was  almost  like  the  mania  of  a  drunkard 
for  strong  drink,  but  by  asserting  his  manhood  and 
making  a  firm  resolve  and  acting  upon  it,  he  decided 
to  live  a  true  and  honest  life.  He  left  his  associates  to 
attend  a  religious  meeting  where  he  heard  the  gospel 
preached  in  all  its  purity,  and  there  he  yielded  himself 
to  God  and  was  pardoned  of  all  his  actual  transgres- 


144 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


sions.  Although  the  effects  of  his  sinful,  wicked  life 
had  been  so  great  that  he  had  many  struggles  for 
months  afterwards,  he  had  taken  a  step  forward  and 
there  was  a  marked  change  in  his  life  from  that  time 
as  well  as  in  his  heart,  and  soon  he  became  established 
in  the  ways  of  truth  and  righteousness,  married  a 
respectable  lady,  and  has  ever  since  lived  the  life  of 
the  righteous  and  been  highly  esteemed  by  those  who 
know  him. 

A  more  striking  illustration  of  the  appreciation  of 
freedom  could  scarcely  be  given  than  that  of  the  recent 
liberation  of  the  Younger  Brothers.  A  little  over  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago  the  state  of  Missouri  and  sur¬ 
rounding  country  were  terrorized  by  daring  raids  made 
by  the  Younger  Brothers  and  James  Brothers,  who 
formed  a  company  of  the  most  daring  outlaws  and 
bandits  known  in  this  country. 

These  desperadoes  were  captured  and  incarcerated  in 
prison  at  Stillwater,  Minn.,  in  close  confinement  for 
almost  twenty-five  years.  It  is  reported  that  for  fifteen 
years  their  lives  have  been  reformed,  and  in  July,  1901 
they  were  liberated  under  the  parole  law  with  the 
restrictions  that  they  were  not  to  leave  the  confines  of 
the  state  of  Minnesota.  Neither  are  they  allowed  to 
drink  intoxicants  nor  lead  a  life  that  is  anything  but 
sober  and  industrious. 

During  the  twenty-five  years  of  their  prison  life  the 
outside  world  had  made  many  changes.  There  had 
been  many  wonderful  inventions,  and  when  released 


wmm 


u 


t  *^-*1 


COLE  YOUNGER.  JAMES  YOUNGER. 


* 


* 


t 


— 


' 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  Hf  ILLINOIS 


> 


RELEASED  FROM  PRISON. 


147 


they  were  like  school  children  on  a  playground.  They 
hardly  knew  which  way  to  turn.  The  outside  world 
was  all  strange  to  them.  Although  being  men  whose 
years  number  into  the  fifties,  they  went  about  as  child¬ 
ren,  laughed  and  cried  alternately  for  joy,  talked  by 
telephone,  rode  in  an  electric  car,  and  enjoyed  them¬ 
selves  in  many  ways,  while  kind  friends  aided  in  clear¬ 
ing  away- the  mists  caused  by  twenty-five  years  of  awful 
solitude.  In  order  to  better  understand  their  apprecia¬ 
tion  of  freedom  we  here  quote  their  conversation  upon 
entering  the  city.  Cole  Younger  remarked  to  his 
brother:  “I  assure  you  that  this  is  the  best  moment  of 
my  life.  Just  think  of  it!  Prom  now  I  can  act  just 
the  same  as  any  one  else,  but  I  suppose  it  will  be  hard  - 
for  me  to  confine  myself  to  the  new  rules  that  I  find 
on  the  outside.  I  have  been  accustomed  to  going  to  bed 
early,  and  I  expect  I  will  want  to  keep  early  hours 
when  I  get  out.  You  can  not  imagine  how  I  felt  to 
put  on  this  brand-new  suit  of  store  clothes  this  morn¬ 
ing.  Only  once  before  since  we  came  to  this  prison,  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago,  have  1  donned  citizen’s  attire, 
and  that  was  when  I  put  on  the  deputy  warden’s 
suit  and  sat  for  a  photograph.  My  clothes  look  a  little 
odd  to  me;  they  are  not  quite  in  style  with  my  regu¬ 
lation  first-grade  prison  suit,  but  I  suppose  they  go  on 
the  outside.  Bless  God  and  our  loyal  friends  for  this 
moment,  which  is  me  of  supreme  happiness.  Por  the 
first  time  in  many  years  I  fee  relieved.  I  feel  now  as 
if  a  great  unbearable  load  of  some  kind  has  been  lifted 


148 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


from  my  shoulders,  and  that  this  is  the  beginning  of  a 
new  life.  Boys,  want  to  thank  you  from  the  bottom 
of  my  heart  for  your  **sistance.M 

Although  these  moil  were  daring  desperadoes  when 
placed  in  prison,  yet,  notwithstanding  the  great 
reformation  that  has  taken  place  in  their  lives  during 
these  years  of  solitude,  we  do  not  wonder  that  their  ac¬ 
tions  were  like  those  of  children,  when  we  take  into  con¬ 
sideration  that  they  were  both  sentenced  for  life.  We 
trust  their  future  days  may  prove  to  prison  officials  and 
the  world  at  large  that  the  Younger  Brothers  are 
worthy  of  such  a  favor,  and  that  their  future  career 
and  this  action  of  the  Minnesota  officials  may  be  an 
impetus  towards  the  liberation  of  every  life  prisoner, 
giving  them  a  chance  once  more  to  delight  in  the 
freedom  which  men  should  enjoy. 

A  few  years  ago,  in  conversation  with  the  Governor 
of  Colorado,  he  related  an  incident  of  a  boy  seventeen 
years  of  age  whose  mother  was  a  widow.  He  came  to 
Denver  and  one  day  while  on  the  street  met  a  young 
man  who  was  a  stranger,  with  whom  he  had  not  been 
in  company  very  long  until  the  stranger  friend  sug¬ 
gested  that  they  take  a  ride.  A  horse  and  carriage 
was  near  by  and  as  no  owner  was  present  the  stranger 
proceeded  to  untie  the  horse  and  orde^  his  young 
friend  to  get  in.  Scarcely  realizing  what  he  was  do¬ 
ing  he  obeyed.  And  away  they  went,  driving  as  rapid¬ 
ly  as  possible  for  several  miles,  when  they  stopped  and 
the  stranger  bade  his  young  friend  good-by,  leaving 


RELEASED  FROM  PRISON. 


149 


him  in  charge  of  the  horse  and  carriage.  He  was  then 
to  some  extent  awakened  to  the  situation,  but  thought 
he  would  return  the  carriage  to  the  place  where  it  was 
procured,  or  if  possible  turn  it  over  to  the  owner.  But 
before  reaching  the  destination  he  was  captured  by 
the  authorities  and  taken  to  jail  and  was  soon  bound 
over  to  answer  to  the  charge  of  stealing  a  horse  and 
carriage.  The  Governor  stated  that  at  that  time  he 
was  judge  of  the  court.  The  boy  and  his  mother  feel¬ 
ing  so  sure  that  he  would  be  released  on  account  of  his 
innocency,  as  he  had  not  the  least  intention  of  steal¬ 
ing,  did  not  procure  a  lawyer,  and  after  the  witnesses 
had  been  examined  and  the  prosecuting  attorney  had 
made  his  plea,  the  Governor  stated  there  was  nothing 
for  him  to  do  only  sentence  the  boy  for  a  year  in  the 
state  prison,  although  he  said  at  the  same  time  he 
was  sure  the  boy  was  innocent. 

I  would  not  feel  clear  in  closing  this  volume  without 
making  a  further  plea  to  the  reader,  and  especially  all 
Christian  people,  to  put  forth  a  special  effort  in  sup¬ 
plying  prisons  of  every  kind  with  good  religious  liter¬ 
ature,  such  as  will  appeal  to  the  consciences  and  hearts 
of  men  and  women  and  lead  them  to  abetter  way. 
Aside  from  our  penitentiaries  there  are  many  thousands 
of  jails,  work-houses,  infirmaries,  hospitals,  and  places 
of  confinement,  which  have  been  so  sadly  neglected 
that  we  even  wonder  how  we  can  all  be  held  guiltless 
in  the  day  of  judgment  if  we  do  not  put  forth  some 
effort  >n  this  line.  Aside  from  the  good  books  and 


150 


BEHIND  THE  PRISON-BARS. 


tracts  placed  in  their  libraries  a  number  of  good  re¬ 
ligious  papers  should  be  sent  to  all  these  places  weekly. 
If  you  can  not  visit  the  prison  in  person  use  your 
dimes  or  dollars  to  expend  in  supplying  the  prisoners 
with  good  literature. 

With  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  our  own  boys, 
our  dearest  friends,  or  even  ourselves,  are  liable  to  be 
falsely  charged  and  sent  to  prison  innocent,  our  sym¬ 
pathies  should  be  awakened  all  the  more  to  help  those 
who  are  guilty,  that  we  may  therefore  lend  a  helping 
hand  to  turn  them  from  the  ways  of  sin  and  wicked¬ 
ness  into  the  ways  of  truth  and  righteousness. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


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